It's Not Always Black and White: The Musical
by The Last Dragonite
Summary: It felt odd when Black watched White, Cheren and Bianca leave Nuvema Town on their journey. But when his journey is given wing he's in for an adventure full of action and...singing? Why yes. NO MORE OC's.
1. Pokemon and I

**Hey everyone, you ready for another fic coming at you? Thought of this while pondering what would've happened if both protagonists were in black and white. Here's the result. **

**Couple notes: While the two protagonists are named 'Black' and 'White', this is not the manga-verse or whatever you may call it. Also, twelve OC's will be accepted to this story for trainer battles, reoccurring characters, etc. Don't give up if twelve people have already submitted. It's not first come, first serve. My selection will be made on how well the OC could fit into the story. The format can be seen in the next chapter. Remember to read ALL OF IT. And finally, I hope you all enjoy about the thousandth retelling you've probably seen of Black and White. Lastly, you read right. Musical. I just wanted to write something bouncy and fun for the sake of being bouncy and fun. **

***EDIT* - The twelve OC limit is no more. Do not listen to what I say here or in future chapters about just twelve OC's. It is NOT TRUE!**

***EDIT* - No more OC's are being accepted.**

**Chapter 1 / Prologue: Pok****é****mon and I**

I never really had experiences with them. I saw Pokémon, in books and from far away. But...for some reason I was never able to get close to one. Even the common ones like Patrats and Lillipups seemed to get away too easily. My neighbor White has Pokémon all around her house. Her mother used to be a talented trainer, even making it to the elite four. But I was never really good friends with White, so I was never invited over or anything. I could only observe from far away. Her Palpitoad would go outside every day to water the garden. What I wouldn't give to pat him on the head or watch him use Mud Shot. Man I love Pokémon.

Whoops, I never introduced myself. My name is Black. And I'm just a guy fascinated by Pokémon. Even to this day. But this isn't about how I am now. This is about how my journey began. And how no one saw me coming. It was an early April morning when I saw Professor Juniper walk down the dirt road near White's house with a box wrapped tightly in decorative pink paper. I approached the renowned Pokémon professor with a spring in my step.

"Professor Juniper!" I said as I began to walk beside her. "I hope this isn't a bad time!"

"Not at all," she replied with a cheery smile. "And you are?"

"We've met before, actually. Last year, when you released your theory about why the Pokémon in Unova are exclusive to the region. I was the kid who asked why there are no Pokémon from other regions here."

"Ah yes, I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name."

"It's no problem, I get that a lot. I'm Black. I was wondering what you're doing with that box." I did ask, but I already had an inkling. If I listened close I could hear something rolling around within. And even more subtle 'clang' that sounded like metal on metal. I'd have to be an idiot not to know there were pokéballs inside.

"Well, White's mother asked me a favor. White's been hinting at wanting a Pokémon for a while now. And I've been bringing three up for study purposes. I think they're ready to be trained by three very capable children."

"Three?"

"Yes. Do you know Cheren and Bianca?"

"Of course!" Everyone knew those three. They were the closest group of friends anyone had ever seen. There was Cheren, the smart one. I often saw him at the library, reading up on Pokémon moves and strategies. I'll admit that we've read some of the same books, but we never did talk to each other. He was a little too serious for my tastes. And then there was Bianca. The spunky blond who I thought was absolutely insane when I first met her. She was way too happy all the time. And lastly, there was White.

White Ellis was a hard nut to crack. She was quite the courageous girl. When we were kids, we were in the same kindergarten class. I remember her saving me from more than several bullies. She was a tough kid and whenever someone thought of her, they knew she was going places. Everybody eagerly awaited the day when she became a trainer, because they knew it'd be the day our town was made famous. She had a dream to be the champion of the Pokémon league, and we all knew there was nothing stopping her. Nobody wanted to jump in front of that train. I just wished...nah.

"Yes. I'm trusting them with the Tepig, Snivy and Oshawott I've been studying. Of course, in exchange I'm asking them to do me a favor."

"Oh really? What's that?" I was interested, but at the same time, I was kind of disappointed I wouldn't be getting a Pokémon. Oh well, I suppose she didn't remember my name, so there was no reason for her to think of one for me. But back to the matter at hand.

"I want them to go out and complete this." Juniper said as she reached into her lab coat pocket, putting the box under her free arm. From her pocket emerged a sleek, crimson, I-pod-like device. I'd read enough of Juniper's newspaper interviews to know that that was-

"A pokédex!" I exclaimed. I'd wanted one ever since I'd heard about the little device. Pokémon Professors Oak, Elm, Birch and Rowan had all developed a version of it for their specific regions and they were awesome. When you met a Pokémon, it would automatically record data on it. You could learn so much just by possessing one of these fantastic objects. I didn't hide my excitement as my eyes simply shined just by looking at the gizmo. I wanted that thing. I saw it in my dreams. If I had one of those, it would be better than all my birthday presents combined. Juniper took one glance at my eyes and she became the love of my life. Not literally.

"Here you go," she said as she handed me the pokédex. My face nearly broke with how much I smiled as I turned it on for the first time.

"WOW! I CAN KEEP THIS? SERIOUSLY?" I cried for joy as I pressed buttons like a madman. So many entries. Snivy, Tranquill, Blitzile, so many Pokémon pictures. The resolution was incredible. These were the best pictures of Pokémon I'd ever seen. This was awesome. It was even better than I imagined. I was already reading the third Pokémon entry and we'd only been walking for about two minutes.

"That's the original. I've got more of them back at the lab. You're obviously quite passionate about Pokémon, and that's something I can't say about everyone. I see good things in your future Black."

"Wow. Thank you so much Professor."

"It's no problem whatsoever. Now if you'll excuse me," the professor said as she turned to knock on White's door. I grinned like a spoiled child and walked away, still fiddling with my new pokédex.

I lived next door to White. Odd, since you'd think being next door neighbors would make us better friends. It didn't. I hadn't had a conversation with her since second grade. I've seen her and her friends in the town shopping and such, but I'd never quite hung out with them. But anyway, I opened the front door while still staring at the screen of my pokédex. I didn't even care as my older sister Carol berated me for going out without telling her. Even though I was twelve years old and could take care of myself.

It had always just been Carol and me. She was always there for me. I gotta admit, I didn't understand why people with siblings always said they argued. Guess we were a rare breed or something.

I'd be lying if I said she wasn't pretty. She was my sister after all, so I guess she'd always be pretty to me. She had beautiful green eyes and her head was adorned with fabulous red hair. She always wore the same thing. A blue T-shirt with jeans. A simple wardrobe, but she was always smiling at me with it. Well except for certain occasions. Like this one for example, where she was sneering at the top of my head.

"One of us needs to comb their hair," Carol continued her usual rant as I finally placed the pokédex in my pocket and started making us breakfast. That was my responsibility after all. "And I'll give you a hint. It's not me. Were you out Pokémon watching again? I told you, you could get hurt with how high you climb up those trees."

"Um, Carol? I'll admit that I climb pretty high, but do I really need to comb my hair if I wear a hat all the time?" I replied as I pointed to said baseball hat with black and white colors and a pokéball symbol plastered on the front.

"_Especially _if you wear a hat all the time! What happens if that hat comes off, huh? You'll look ridiculous!" Good to know she was still as optimistic as yesterday. "And I'm still angry at you! If you've seen one Pidove, you've seen them all! I don't get why you need to endanger yourself looking at them!"

"How can I not? They're awesome!" Unbeknownst to myself, I began to get what Carol called 'the look'. My eyes seemed to glitter, like I was gazing at a beautiful star. While in my mind's eye, I was imagining what being a trainer would be like. I'd never even talked to a Pokémon, let alone tried training one. But I could see it now. Hugging a Tepig, teaching a baby Rufflet how to fly, being a Druddigon's best friend. It would be so vivid in my imagination. It would be so real and powerful. And then I would reach out and it would all disappear. "I mean, no two Pidove are exactly alike. There's a few that have a darker shade of head feathers and yesterday I saw a female one that had wings that ended in a point like the males. They weren't just fluffy like the other females. Also-"

"You're just astounding, kiddo," Carol said as she placed a hand on my head. When she said that, I knew it meant 'shut up already, nerd'. I grinned as I continued to stir the pancake mix. "You should've asked Professor Juniper for a Pokémon. I was just talking to her the other day actually. She's giving one-"

"To White. I know. She was on her way to the house just now."

"Oh. I'm sorry kiddo." She hugged me from behind in obvious attempt to make me feel better. It wasn't quite effective, but I was still excited about my pokédex, so I was all good.

"S'okay. Thanks sis."

We ate our breakfast in silence. She was concerned about me, and I was quite hungry. She was staring at me with her version of 'the look'. This one made me afraid to look at her since my conscious would scream 'Tell her you're all right! It's okay to lie if it makes her stop staring at you' every time I glanced at her. I stuck it out long enough for her to finish and get out of her seat. But that didn't stop the awkward moment since she looked out the window and gave a depressed sigh. She just had that natural talent to make me feel guilty with no effort.

"Well, looks like they're off already," she said as she continued to stare.

"Oh?" I muttered as I continued to eat. I knew she was talking about White, Cheren and Bianca. I also knew she expected me to complain about how I wasn't going with them. I wanted to. I really did. My meal was eaten as slowly as it could be. And even as I finished it, even as I got up to wash the dishes, I didn't say a word. And when Carol stepped away from the window, I knew they'd taken their first steps onto Route 1. It was too late now, anyway.

The truth was, I'd had my bag packed for weeks. I was all set to go out on any journey. But I lacked one crucial thing. Despite all the supplies I'd packed for survival, I lacked the one crucial thing. A Pokémon. The one thing I needed and wanted the most, I couldn't have. There was no way for me to go out into that world without one of those guys by my side. It was frustrating. I didn't get it. Pokémon just seemed to run away from me. Just once, I'd like one to come up to me, and maybe smile at me. I don't get why they were scared of me. I always took the proper steps. Look at them at eye level, try not to blink, and constantly remind them that you're not trying to hurt them. I guess it took more to earn a Pokémon's trust.

The rest of the day was pretty lazy. In fact, during the afternoon, all Carol did was nap on the couch while I continued to study the features of my pokédex. I sighed. Maybe someday I'd have what those three had. I grinned at the thought. Maybe someday...

...Definitely someday.

**End of chapter one.**

**Sorry for the slow and short nature of this chapter. I guess it's the first chapter, so it takes a bit for it to get off the ground. Stay fabulous, people!**


	2. Communication is Key

**Hi there! Please enjoy the second chapter! (And I hope you don't find this choice of first Pokémon odd or anything. I know, cliché, but trust me. I know what I'm doing. BLACK IS NO GARY STU! That said I'll see you at the end of the chapter!)**

**Chapter 2: Communication is Key**

"_What is this?" I asked myself as I floated in the empty, cold and desolate darkness. I couldn't even see my own hand in front of my face. Not that I was trying to do that. It was so cold that I couldn't even stop shivering. It was chilling me right down to my core. I don't think I'd ever been so frozen. And the fact that I was all alone didn't help. No one was coming to help me. Not even my sister would show up with a warm blanket. _

_But that solitude wasn't for long. Suddenly, I felt a presence. But where was it from? It wasn't ahead of me. Not to the left, to the right, maybe-_

_It was definitely behind me. And it was immense. I heard the figure's breathing as it nearly blew my hat off. Its warm breath made me jump as it hit my neck, sending even more shivers down my spine. Oh God, that thing was huge! It could reach out and crush me with a single step, I could tell. I was so dead. I silently said my prayers as the figure came even closer. _

_Until all of a sudden, it wasn't so intimidating. I felt something-no...two things wrap around me. They were soft, and warm. Like I was sitting right in front of the fireplace with a fluffy winter coat on. It was pleasant. Not just the warmness itself, but the way in which I got it. It was...caring. It was the like the feeling I got whenever my sister gave me a present for my birthday or when she made me soup when I was sick. Giving me this warmth was like such a gesture in this freezing cold place. _

"_Do not be afraid," I heard a voice say behind me. I heard the words but, I couldn't make out the voice itself. Like the tone, or the pitch. As such, I didn't even know if the figure was truly friendly or not. But, something just told me to trust it. Besides the figure itself of course. "It has been far too long. I have missed you, my friend." I turned around, trying to see just who this person was. But they were way ahead of me. They zipped around me just as fast as I turned, putting me back to square one._

"_I wish the feeling was mutual," I replied to the figure's comment. _

"_I am sorry. But you cannot see me until I have awoken. And not until you have remembered me." The figure sighed, almost like it was depressed. "Goodbye. For now, Black."_

I awoke in a relaxed state in which my muscles refused to move. But with no other argument than 'five more minutes can't hurt', I made them get up anyway. I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"That dream again," I said to myself. I'd had it for weeks now. It was always the same thing. But it was only recently that I'd been able to speak. Usually, it was far too cold in the dream for my mouth to say anything other than 'brrrrr'. But every time I'd turn around and the person would be too smart for me to see under the pretense that it wasn't yet time. Whatever that meant.

I checked the clock on my bedside table. Six 'o clock. Great, it would be another few hours before Carol even thought of getting up. And she hated it when I woke her up in the mornings. And let's just say she's an incredibly light sleeper. With no other options, I grabbed the nearest storybook and started reading. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a good story when I need to kill time. This one just happened to be one of my childhood favourites. Entitled: 'The Victorious King'.

The story was all about the prince of a kingdom in strife. He was given a Pokémon that was said to help bring victory against any enemy he faced. And it was true. The Pokémon seemed to have a magical power that made every battle won. He was so lucky in fact, that he eventually began to expand his kingdom. And with this Pokémon at his side, he just never lost. He got greedy, even challenging his father for control of the kingdom, and of course, he won. Nothing could stop such a wrecking machine.

He was so selfish, that one day he began to demand more of the partner that had gotten him this far. He always wanted more. So much more than the Pokémon could ever provide him with. And as a result, he started to mistreat the creature. Even injuring it on many occasions until the Pokémon could take it no more and ran away. The Pokémon got lost and eventually passed out from hunger. It woke in the arms of another, more kind, trainer. This trainer lived in poverty, but shared what little food he had with the Pokémon. And that Pokémon found a lot more love in that home than it ever found with the prince.

The two challenged the prince to a battle. And the prince lost badly, dethroned. His former Pokémon wasn't hit with a single attack. And the story ended happily ever after when the Pokémon and its trainer lost to a little girl and her Lillipup. The morel of the story being that it doesn't matter how strong you are, the person with a bigger bond with their Pokémon will always win. The prince only got as far as he did because he originally had that bond with the Pokémon. Corny, but I loved it all the same. Of course, that's just a brief summary. We'd be here for hours if I told you the full story.

But I lied awake that morning, thinking how great it would've been if I'd found that Pokémon and gave it the food it needed. How great it would be if I had a best friend that wouldn't leave my side. How great it would be, if I'd gone with White and the others yesterday. I let out a big sigh. It all just came back to that.

I heard the familiar sound of pots and pans, meaning Carol just got up. I checked my clock. Wow, eight 'o clock already. I'd been reading for longer than I thought. I stretched myself out, letting a few muscles crack. I put on my usual attire of my hat, my navy blue jacket and my black pants with red running shoes, and ventured downstairs.

"Morning kiddo," she said as she handed me a plate of toast.

"Don't I make breakfast?" I asked before I took my first bite into the buttery goodness.

"Toast isn't exactly that big of a deal," she said back to me, grabbing a piece of her own. "Besides, you don't have time."

"Huh?" I didn't get it. I hadn't really planned to do anything that day.

"Mrs. Ellis called just a bit ago. She asked you to go over to her place today." I nearly choked. She was telling me I was going to the house filled with Pokémon? Oh hell yes! It wasn't even my birthday. I shoveled the rest of the bread into my mouth and ran out the door, trying to mumble 'see ya'. Unfortunately, all that came out was a jumbled mess but I didn't care. I was zipping my way straight off my porch and right down the path to the front door of White's house. Oh man I was so excited that I almost forgot to knock on the door. Luckily I didn't have to. White's mom saw me coming and creaked open the door.

"Uh, hi there Mrs. Ellis," I spluttered rather quickly, "y-you wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Hi Black, it's good to see you. Come on in." I did so gratefully and was instantly greeted with the smell of cooking vegetables. That was nice. I took a big whiff at the scent of good cooking.

"_Who's that guy?_" I heard someone say. I looked around to see who was talking. There was no one there. Odd.

"_He's the kid from next door, remember? Don't worry, he's nice._" There was another voice. This one a little higher pitched.

"Um, Mrs. Ellis?" I said as she turned around to look at me. "Is there someone else here?"

"Hm? No. White left yesterday. I thought you knew." Huh. Odd. I figured I imagined it and moved along with the conversation, as White's mother was doing. "But Black. I'd like to ask you to do something for me."

"Uh, okay. What's the favor?"

"I know we haven't really gotten to know each other that well, but I feel I can trust you with this. And this is not so much a favor to me as it is to Professor Juniper."

"The professor? What does she need?"

"Have you heard of Team Plasma?" That was an odd question. I shook my head. I'd heard of Team Rocket, Team Galactic, Team Magma and Aqua. But Plasma wasn't exactly in my studies of other regions. "That's understandable. They're a recently formed group who claim to be Pokémon activists."

"Pokémon...activists?" I didn't even know what the word 'activist' meant. Mrs. Ellis laughed, making me question how often I showed my cluelessness to these things.

"They say they're trying to free all Pokémon. They make big speeches about how humans enslave and mistreat Pokémon. And that we should release all our Pokémon."

"But, that's a little extreme. I mean, I know there's bad trainers out there, but I think there're more good than bad."

"Good to hear. You see the problem then. Team Plasma is not exactly what they seem."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with-"

"I'm getting to that. Yesterday, when White, Cheren and Bianca left, the professor left town as well. And yesterday, the Unova Regional Police Department came by. These agents had been on Team Plasma's trail for a while. And they finally caught a large group of them at Liberty Garden, an island just off the coast of Castelia City. But that's not all they found."

"Yeah?" I said in anticipation. If she was telling the truth than this was some pretty intense stuff. And I had no idea where this was going. But let's just say, when we got there, I was never happier in my life. Getting ahead of myself again, sorry.

"They found a pokemon. And they tried to bring him to Professor Juniper. But by the time they got to her lab, she was gone. So they brought him to me instead. I'm the only other experienced trainer in this town." Well, to be technical, the professor wasn't exactly a trainer, but no time for technicalities.

"Wait, so they found a Pokémon in the Liberty Garden. I get that part. But, why bring it to the professor? Was there something special about it?"

"Oh where are my manners? I haven't introduced you two yet." Mrs. Ellis said as she reached into her pocket. My heart started beating faster. She was actually showing me the Pokémon. I was so excited. I wondered if it was a fire type, or maybe a steel type, or a poison type. Or a dragon! That would be awesome. And as I had hoped, she took out a pokéball, although it was different from most pokéballs with their red and silver colours. This one was all black with three gold stripes going across it. I recognized it as a luxury ball.

"Say hello," she said as she released the ball, letting it open automatically and release the traditional white veil of energy that formed into the Pokémon the ball contained. And as that Pokémon landed on the floor, it began to reveal itself in its true form.

Oh...my...God. It was adorable! I know that's not exactly macho to say, but geez. This was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. And it was smiling at me. Its large, pointed ears were shaped like the letter V, atop a round head which was comparatively large for its small body. The head also donned two large blue eyes which stared at me with curiosity. It was mostly cream-colored, while the tops of its ears, crest, and extremities were all orange. Its bulbous arms and legs were rounded to make a sort of "cuff" before ending with small, three-fingered hands and two-toed feet. Lastly, on the back of its legs, it had two wing-like tails which I assumed couldn't really fly.

But I was wrong on that point. The moment me and the unknown Pokémon looked each other it flapped the two little 'wings' on its back and jumped toward me. It landed in my lap and looked up at me with a huge grin on its face. And that grin was reflected on my face. This was the closest I'd ever been to a Pokémon. I was so ecstatic on the inside, but I didn't want to scare it away. I wanted to pet it but I wanted it to like me at the same time. It was maddening. All I could do was grin at it. Until my brain thought of something else I could do. And that was check out just what Pokémon this was. I grabbed my pokédex and turned it on, pointing the scanner at the Pokémon. A picture of it came up on my device as the electronic voice told me all about it.

"_**Victini. The victory Pokémon. Victini is said to be able to store an unlimited amount of energy within its body, which it shares with all who come in contact with it. This Pokémon has not been seen by any living person."**_

Whoa. No way. I was holding a Pokémon that rare? Oh that was the best day of my life. And it was only gonna get better.

"Good to see he gets along with you. That'll make things easier. I called Aurea right after I received this little guy. And she said she would like to study him and asked me to take care of him until she got back. But I threw out another idea." She paused, giving me time to tear my head away from staring at Victini. He was just too cute. "Since Team Plasma was after this little guy, it would be too dangerous to keep him in one place for Team Plasma to attack. And if they found him, he'd be a little too weak to fight them off on his own. He's not exactly that strong yet. So I suggested this."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" I said, my voice cracking with utter glee.

"I suggested that we give him to a trainer, and let that trainer make him strong enough to fight off Team Plasma. Congratulations Black. Victini is your first Pokémon."

"SERIOUSLY? NO WAY!" I really regretted saying that. Because as I did, Victini must've got startled, because his ears flashed and sparked, and before I knew it, my hat was on fire. "Whoa!" I exclaimed as I knocked that thing off my head and beat the small fire out with my foot. Aw dang it, my hat was ruined. Oh well, I had three more at home, anyway. "Spunky little guy aren't you? Sorry 'bout scaring you like that."

Victini smiled at me again in my outstretched arms, tilted his head and said "_It's okay_"

...Wait. It SAID that? I stared unblinkingly at the creature in my hands. There was no way. It couldn't have just talked. I'd never officially met a Pokémon, but I'm pretty sure they didn't talk.

"Did you just-" I started to say while trying to process this in my mind. "-talk?"

"Of course he did," Mrs. Ellis said as she approached and started rubbing the top of Victini's head. "All Pokémon can talk. Too bad we can't understand what they're saying. But if you're a good trainer, you can understand their feelings. I think you'll do great, Black."

This was unbelievable. My heart started pounding against my chest in excitement. If Victini was talking, then I was apparently the only one hearing it. Either I was going crazy, or I was really understanding Victini. I was about to ask Mrs. Ellis what she heard when Victini spoke, but then I realized something. If I thought I was crazy, then what would she think? No, I would be keeping this to myself. I didn't feel like being committed today. But it was so weird. I wanted to say that I imagined it, but no. Victini wouldn't have it.

"_You're gonna do great? Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!_" Victini declared as he started squirming around in my hands, like he was trying to dance or something. That put the final nail in the weird coffin. I sighed, with both glee and fear. Was there something wrong with me? Regardless, I tried with all my might not to show it.

"Um..." I was thinking of something to say. Anything at all that wasn't 'HOW IS HE TALKING? HOW IS HE TALKING? HOW IS HE TALKING?'. Ah, I thought of something reasonable. Thank God too. "W-Wh-Why me, anyway? Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic, but..."

"To be honest, your sister called me yesterday. She told me not to tell you about it, but I think you deserve to know."

"Sis? What did she say?"

"I've known your sister for a while now. And she talks about you all the time. And if I was to trust anyone with a Pokémon," she put her hand on my shoulder, "it would be someone who loves them and is fascinated by them as much as you. Good luck, Black."

I didn't know what to say. I went from thinking this day couldn't get any stranger to thinking this day couldn't get any better. She trusted me with the one and only Victini in the world, and all because I loved Pokémon. I was touched, not to mention totally pumped up. This was it. My journey was about to begin and it all started with the cute little guy in front of me who could TALK! I should really get off this tangent.

"Do you want to give him a nickname?" She asked me suddenly, taking her hand off my shoulder.

"_Nickname? Yeah, nickname! Nickname! I want a nickname! Give me a nickname! Nickname! Nickname! Nickname!_" Victini was yelling his head off. He really wanted a nickname. I could tell since he was trying to dance around again. I was still freaked out by the fact that I could understand him, but I was snickering at his funny little behaviour. He was still pretty cute.

"Alright alright, I'll give you one. Let's see," I had to think on this one. I had to give him a good one. He was my first Pokémon, and I wanted my first Pokémon to have a fantastic name. "Victini. Maybe Victor?" Victini made a face at me and shook his head rapidly. "Oh, sorry. Um, let's see. Victini. Tini. Tony? How about Tony?"

"_Yeah! Yeah! Tony! Tony! I'm Tony!_" Victini proclaimed as he tried to jump for joy in my grip again. I had to admit, this was pretty funny. "_Tony! Tony! Tony! Okay, now I name you!_"

"Wh-what? I already have a name. I'm Black."

"_No no no!_" He was shaking his head rapidly again. Everything this guy did was cute. "_That's a boring name. You're fun! You gave me a nickname! You're Bro! Bro! Bro! Bro!_" He kept repeating that one word. Guess that was my nickname. I couldn't help but laugh. This was awesome. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. 'Cause if I was, then mine was coming true. Yes! It hurt like hell. I was talking to a Pokémon. This was the best. And even better, Mrs. Ellis didn't think I was crazy. Mostly because there was a knock at the door before I started talking to Victi-sorry. I mean Tony.

As I played with Tony, Mrs. Ellis opened the door to reveal Carol. I turned my head and nearly dropped my new pal. Carol had my bag. My shoulder bag. The one I had packed for the day I'd leave. This shocked me since I thought she had no idea where I'd put that thing. I had hid it in a floorboard...under my bed...in a lockbox.

"Uh, I can explain that," I spluttered. I couldn't. I really couldn't. I'm not a very good liar, and I knew Carol thought Pokémon were dangerous. This didn't look good.

"It's okay kiddo, calm down. And here," she said as she held out the bag to me. Tony leaped out of my hands and fluttered his way up to my shoulder, taking a seat. I took it and slung it over my free shoulder. I understood. "And before you go, just know that I love you buddy."

"I know sis."

"Also, I wanted to give you this, since I may not get another chance." She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a small envelope. "Take this with you."

"What is it?"

"A letter." I took a look at the front of the envelope. And I was confused to see what was written.

"Do not open until eight badges are obtained?" I read out loud. I didn't get it. "Why give this to me now?"

"I dunno. It's not from me. And the person who asked me to give that to you didn't tell me what's in it. Just, please follow the instructions. I know how you like to skip to the end when you read a book."

"Heh heh. Alright. I will. I guess this is it, huh?"

"Yeah, good luck kid." We hugged. For the last time in a long time. It was kind of funny. Whenever I imagined myself going on my journey, I'd always picture Carol coming with me. Maybe because, I never really spent time away from her. But it was time to step out on my own two feet and show the world what I could do. When I broke up the hug, Tony climbed atop my head and hung his head in front of my face, making me jump in surprise.

"_Hey Bro? I'm hungry."_

"Oh, sounds like someone's hungry." Mrs. Ellis said as she walked towards her cupboards, opening them up wide. Wow. She didn't understand that, and yet she understood it at the same time. Does that sound weird? Oh well, I guess that's how good you get when you're a trainer for so many years. Mrs. Ellis came back with dozens of cans of Pokémon food cradled in her arms. "These are for the trip. Remember, you can get more by visiting Pokémon centers."

I managed to shove the cans of food into my already overly-loaded bag. And somehow, I was still able to lift it. I kept one can out of course, if only to satisfy Tony's hunger. I unsealed the top and gave the can to Tony. He sniffed the small food pellets inside before opening his mouth and chowing down on one. He swallowed and smiled. Suddenly he tilted the contents into his mouth, making sure he got every little bit of food in there. He rubbed his tummy as he chewed, showing just how much he loved that stuff.

"Alright little buddy. I'll see you in a bit. You can return now." I said as I picked up his Luxury Ball, clicking the button in the center so that a red beam of energy fired out to recall the spunky little fiend. But to my surprise, with quick feet, Tony dodged the pokéball's recalling sequence, simply shuffling to the other shoulder as he continued to chew his meal. When he had swallowed, I fired the beam again, and once again, he dodged it by taking residence on my other shoulder. He started laughing like this was all good fun and I was starting to get impatient. "C'mon already!"

"Maybe you should just leave him be for a bit," Mrs. Ellis said, putting a hand on my free shoulder. "He hasn't been out of his pokéball since yesterday."

"Oh...okay." It's not like I was disappointed or anything. I wanted to spend a lot of time with the little guy. He jumped into my arms and looked up at me with those curious little eyes.

"_So you're gonna make me stronger?" _I nodded, if only to make it look like I didn't understand him. "_Cool! Cool! Cool!" _He made peace signs with both his hands and pumped them into the air. I already liked my buddy. But then he did something I really didn't expect from a Pokémon I'd just met. The little guy snuggled up to me. "_Thank you." _I patted his small head. I already loved my traveling partner. And I was ready for a big journey.

"Last thing before you leave." Carol said as she and I stood before Route One. I had my bag slung over one shoulder, Tony on the other. My skateboard dangled from my hand. If I wanted to catch up to White and the others, I'd need a boost of speed. Skateboards aren't exactly the fastest things around, but I was pretty speedy on one. As for Carol, she handed me another envelope. This one was a lot thicker than the last. "There's enough cash in there to last you to Opelucid City. Along with the amount you've saved up, you'll be just fine."

"Thanks Carol. For everything." We hugged one last time before I jumped on my skateboard and zipped down Route One, a metaphorical spring in my step with the trees and wind just breezing on past. Tony laughed all the way, clearly enjoying the ride. I still didn't understand how I knew what he was saying. But did it really matter? I had an awesome Pokémon who I could actually talk to. I snickered along with my new friend. It was going to be a wild ride. Full of battles, laughter...

….and maybe a little singing.

_Black__: Sometimes the world looks perfect,_  
><em>Nothing to rearrange.<em>  
><em>Sometimes you just, get a feeling<em>  
><em>Like you need some kind of change.<em>  
><em>No matter what the odds are this time,<em>  
><em>Nothing's going to stand in my way.<em>

_This flame in my heart,_  
><em>And a long lost friend<em>  
><em>Gives every dark street a light at the end.<em>  
><em>Standing tall, on the wings of my dreams.<em>  
><em>Rise and fall, on the wings of my dreams.<em>  
><em>Through rain and thunder<em>  
><em>and hail and haze<em>  
><em>I'm bound for better days.<em>  
><em>It's my life and my dream,<em>  
><em>Nothing's gonna stop me now.<em>

**End of chapter two!**

**So here's the dealio. **

"Normal dialogue."

_Thoughts_

"_A Pokémon speaking."_

"_**A pokédex entry."**_

_Someone: __is singing_

**Since I want this to be a musical, I'm trying to have one song for every chapter. And no, not every song will be from a sit com from the 80's. This one just seems to give Black a proper sendoff. **

**I'll catch y'all on the flip side!**

**PS - From here on in I'll be accepting up to twelve OC's. If you're interested, here's the format I'd like you to submit it in:**

***Edit* No more OC submissions. I've got WAY MORE than I need.**


	3. The N Game

**Just so you know. This is an attempt to cross the anime with the games, so don't be surprised if you see some similarities.**

**Review Responses: Professor Yuki - I agree. Skateboards would be awesome. Also, I didn't even know skateboards were in the Gold and Silver beta, so that's a no to that question. I just wanted a break from the traditional bike. Also, a sadist OC? I like it. Nobody else try to steal that idea now!**

**Cast Giga Flare - Don't worry, this particular Victini won't exactly be a full-fledged legendary if you know what I mean. **

**My Wunderwaffle iz missin - Uh...you did read the part saying 'DON'T PUT THEIR MOVESETS' right? And the part about putting their age, appearance, battle style and status as a trainer, right?**

**Everyone who this applies to - I didn't get the appearance of your characters. I know I put the requirement there. So please send it in soon (through PM or whatever) or you might not be able to consider your OC. (Fun0star, Professor Yuki, xXCookieGiverXx, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, One-Wheel-Wonder)**

**Chapter 3: The N Game**

"Aw man," I groaned as the pokeball that had previously been shaking on the ground burst open, releasing the Pidove I had tried to catch. It flew away immediately, leaving me and Tony in yet another stage of depression. We'd been trying to catch a pokemon all day. We'd found a few patrats and I thought we could go for an easy catch. And this was the result.

"Alright Tony, this is our first chance to catch ourselves a new friend." I explained to the victory pokemon as he hopped off my shoulder to face a single Patrat who emerged from the group to fight us. Tony was hopping around in his usual happy dance, excited for the battle that was about to commence. It was still very cute, but it was hard to get him focused. This was a major problem since the patrat before us was rather focused himself.

"Pat-rat, patrat!" The Patrat declared, saying what all pokemon SHOULD say. Its name over and over. I still didn't get why I could talk to Tony and not these things.

Anyway, I was about to call the first attack when I realized that I actually didn't know any of Tony's moves. I felt like an idiot for not using my pokedex to do it earlier. I brought out the little device and gave Tony a quick scan.

"_**Victini's current attacks: Incinerate, Quick Attack and Confusion."**_

Ah, that was right. Tony was a fire type and a psychic type. So he could learn a multitude of attacks. Still I was surprised. For a mythical pokemon, he sure wasn't that strong. Oh well, that was why I was there. To train him up. Oh, it felt so good to think that. I was a trainer. The thought made me so giddy I barely remembered the battle.

"Okay Tony, let's start off with...uh...Incinerate!" I said with as much command as I could. Tony blinked as he got focused again, hearing my words. My buddy's ears began to glow red hot as he opened his mouth, a barrage of flames bursting forth. However, when he used the attack, he closed his eyes. And with no aiming whatsoever, he missed the Patrat by a mile. And the Patrat, quite annoyed at this point, ran towards Tony, using Quick Attack and knocking him for a loop. Tony landed at my feet, and this was the first time I saw him mad. "Alright, use Incinerate again, and this time, keep your eyes open!"

Tony did, and he was a much better shot this time. But unfortunately, the Patrat had caught on and with a burst of speed, he dodged the burst of flame, getting in close to Tony and used Bite on Tony's ears. I panicked and so did Tony. So much so, that he eventually flopped over in defeat. The Patrat rejoined his bretherin as they all laughed at the fallen pokemon, eventually scurrying away. I sighed as I scooped the little guy into my arms.

"Sorry bud, I guess I messed up, huh?" I said to him as the chuckling of the Patrats died out.

"_No, no, no!" _Tony retorted. "_I missed."_

And the rest of the day pretty much followed that pattern. We'd see a pokemon, try to catch it, fail, heal up Tony with a potion, and repeat the process. I may not have succeeded, but I would not be deterred. We kept trying, again and again. And we failed. Again and again. It got so bad that Tony eventually just moaned in hunger and fatigue, his body refusing to get up, even after I used a potion on him. We were already halfway to Accumula Town and the sun was getting sort of low to the ground anyway, so I decided we should call it a day.

We'd been boarding down a dirt path lined with trees all day. I'd prepared myself for a night in the woods. Not only were we gonna sleep well, but we were gonna have fun doing it. I dug around in my bag as Tony draped his exhausted self over my shoulder. After a few minutes, I found what I was looking for. A net.

"_What's that?" _Tony asked me before yawning.

"A net, I'm gonna set us up a hammock in the trees." Or at least I thought I was. It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Much like catching a pokemon. I gave myself rope burn at least three times before I got my net firmly tied in the upper branches of the trees. But once I was out of breath and tired to boot, I'd set us up a hexagonal bed in the foliage. And the ironic thing was that by this time, Tony was feeling better and ready to roll.

"_That looks awesome!" _Tony said as he leaped from my shoulder and started jumping on my springy creation. "_Where'd you get such a great idea?"_

"Well, actually, it wasn't my idea. Uh..." I was wondering if Tony could answer this next question. He was just a young little guy after all. "Have you ever heard of the Johto Region?"

"_Nope! I was in that Liberty Garden place for a long time."_

"Well, Johto's another place where pokemon and people live. And like here, they've got a champion."

"_Champion?"_

"Yeah, the best trainer there is. And he gives interviews to magazines and stuff. And in one of those interviews, he said he sets up a net like this whenever he's in a place with a lot of trees. It sounded pretty comfortable." I looked back at my travelling partner, who blinked with his usual wide-eyed wonder. "Uh...do you get a word of that?"

Tony laughed. "_Nope!" _And with that, he continued to bounce. I sighed. I just poured my heart out about my hero, the Johto Region champion, for the first time, and the one I was telling didn't understand a word of it. Oh well, I guess my obsession with Axel Igaul would have to wait for human ears. So instead of continuing, I got out a can of pokemon food and climbed into the hammock.

"Alright squirmy," I said as rushed onto me, reaching for the can of food. "Dinner."

"_Yay!" _Tony was ecstatic as he chowed down. I would never get tired of his boundless happiness. He laid down, resting his head on my arm as he popped the food into his mouth one piece at a time. I was surprised how easily this guy liked me. I thought it would've been hard with my first pokemon. Oh well. I wasn't complaining.

"Yeah. Tomorrow, we'll definitely catch a pokemon! I know it." I said this to cheer myself up more than Tony. I was fairly sure he wasn't even listening. Instead, I took out my pokedex and turned it on, viewing it with the orange sky as my backdrop. "I bet the professor knows I can catch a lot of pokemon too. That's why she gave me this, I bet. Just think Tony, one day we'll be the best! And no one's gonna-!"

"YOU!" I nearly jumped out of the hammock as I heard the loudest declaration of hatred I'd ever heard. And before I knew it, the section of our net near my feet was torn away, and Tony and I were dropped to the cold hard earth. Well, I was, anyway. Tony used his wings and floated down, getting a soft landing on my head. He transferred himself over to my shoulder as I struggled to get up. But it wasn't until he finished his dinner that he actually said anything.

"_What happened, Bro?" _He asked me as if he hadn't heard the loud battle cry just a second ago. I didn't answer him. I was a little focused on the guy who just tried to give me a concussion. I turned all around, doing a few twirls before I realized that this person wanted to stay hidden.

"Whoever did that," I said with as much patience as I could considering the circumstances. "You'd better show yourself!" I don't know why I tried to sound tough. I was clearly just a rookie kid.

"You...you scum." Suddenly the voice that had just sounded so angry suddenly gained a creepy status as well. I looked behind me, seeing an odd young man emerge from behind a nearby tree. No joke, he was really weird...and creepy.

This guy had long green hair. SO long in fact, that he had to make a ponytail out of it. But this didn't do much good either since it just flowed any which way anyway. His black and white baseball cap didn't really help at all either. His clothes were very hippy-ish with the white overshirt over his long-sleeved black one. The green shoes really clashed with the gold and dark bracelets around both his arms.

"You own a pokedex? I see, so you plan to confine many of my friends to those damn pokeballs?" The man asked without _really _asking if you know what I mean. Geez he was weird. "You are the reason why pokemon suffer!"

"What? You don't make any sense, dude!" I retorted. "The pokedex was made to help _understand _pokemon. Any idiot knows that."

"Understand them? Why would you need a device to do that? When you can simply speak to them?"

"Speak to 'em?"

"I see, so you can't hear it either. What a shame. You know, I met a trainer like you earlier today. She spoke in the same way as you did. But the difference between you and her, was that she piqued my interest."

"White," I said to myself. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was who he was talking about. A female trainer with a pokedex who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself? That's not Bianca. She's rather meek when it comes down to it. White on the other hand, would tear the world apart to prove her point.

"But you humans will not deter me. In fact, I am on my way to Professor Juniper's lab right now. To prove my way of thinking to her."

"Please, you sound like a member of Team Plasma. Besides, the professor's gone. She left on a little journey of her own, all across Unova."

"What?" The man grimaced at my words. He was clearly having a fit from me finishing my sentence. "Hmph. Fine. I will simply have to continue my own purpose then. But first." The man paused as a 'purr' could be heard from behind him. I saw movement near his legs as a Purrloin leaped out from the darkness, growling at me. "I will destory that evil pokedex."

"Huh?" I exclaimed. That wasn't fair. He couldn't just do that...could he? Either way, I was in trouble. That Purrloin looked at me with fierce eyes. It was obviously pretty experienced. And for all I knew this guy was a pro.

"Don't bother trying to run. I won't stop until I've disposed of that pokedex."

I swallowed hard. Those claws were pretty sharp. I didn't want Tony to get in a battle and not come out of it. But the man wasn't giving me much choice. The professor had entrusted the pokedex to me. In passing, sure, but she did all the same. I coldn't just give it up. I'd wanted one since I was learning to count to ten. It was important to me. But Tony was more important than any device I had. Agh, why did I always have to make these decisions? Except this time, I didn't. Tony leaped in front of my, growling right back at the aggressive Purrloin.

"Tony?" I said, surprised at his sudden urge to fight for me. He'd been doing it all day. I thought he'd be too tired.

"A nickname? Disgusting. Nicknames are just the way humans emphasize ownership of pokemon. It sickens me!"

"_HEY!" _Tony barked at him, making the strange man widen his eyes in surprise. "_Bro gave me that name! I like my name! And I bet mines a lot better than yours!"_

"Wha...?" The man stuttered, shocked at my pokemon's words. So was I for that manner. I didn't know Tony liked me that much. But he quickly returned to his usual jerkish demeanor. Okay jerkish isn't a word, but he was. "If my name is what you want, it is N. I hate to hurt you, but if it is to destroy a pokedex, the symbol of humanity's faults, we will."

Then, without a command from N, the Purrloin lashed out, flashing her claws in a Fury Swipes attack. And considering the inexperience of Tony, this wasn't a favourable matchup. I told Tony to dodge, and he did...once. But as I said, the Purrloin used Fury Swipes, which was a multi-strike attack. Tony didn't see it coming and was scratched in the face multiple times. And once again, without a command, the Purrloin's eyes began to glow purple, which I recognized as a warm-up for a Pursuit attack. A dark type move. If Tony got hit with that in his already fatigued state, he'd be down for the count. It was weird, I was so panicked that I was suddenly becoming a sharp thinker.

"Tony, blast her back with Incinerate!" Tony heard me loud and clear, letting loose the fire attack before N's Purrloin could even see what was happening. The flame lit up the night, smacking Purrloin right into the trunk of a tree. Tony gave more peace signs and did his little dance, but it was clear that he was fighting an uphill battle.

And yet, he still had a smile on his face. It was then I realized something. Tony was having fun. He was really having fun battling with me. He'd only landed a single hit so far, but he was having a blast. And so was I for that matter. I knew this was an awful situation, but on the other hand, this was my first battle with another trainer.

"Let's not stop Tony! Follow up with Quick Attack!" I wasn't stupid. Confusion wasn't going to be any good here against a dark type. And with only two attack options, this was getting pretty intense. I know I sound stupid, but this was awesome. Were all battles like this? If so, I was ready for more.

The still woozy Purrloin never saw Tony coming as he landed a clean hit. Knocking her to N's feet. And then the trouble started. Because we hadn't done that much damage, we'd only managed to tick that kitty off. So much for fun. Purrloin had gotten up again and was getting ready to pounce.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" I yelled as the cat leaped across the clearing. Tony did as I said and dashed backwards just in time. "Now follow up with Incinerate!"

That was the plan anyway, however then N did something. It was very subtle, but he tapped his hat twice. I almost ignored it before Purrloin used Sand Attack, kicking some dirt into Tony's face. While trying to rub it out of his eyes, Tony was once again struck with Fury Swipes. This resulted in Tony toppling over as Purrloin returned near N's feet. She clearly thought she'd succeeded, and for a moment, so did I.

But if there was one thing N didn't count on, it was Tony's inability to stay down. Tony got up, albeit with struggling limbs, but up nonetheless. However, he was not only tired, but his eyes still appeared to sting from the Sand Attack. But when I saw his eyes open just a squint, I smirked. It was time to turn the tide.

"Incinerate now!" Faster than lightning, Tony blasted Purrloin across the face with his Incinerate. Needless to say, N was certainly taken aback.

"How-?"

"Sorry. But Tony's got the 'Victory Star' ability. So if his eyes are open, even just a little, he'll always have spot on accuracy."

"If you cannot hear his voice, then how did you know he had such a power?"

I held up the pokedex as N clenched his teeth. "That's right. All pokemon have got hidden powers. Sometimes they don't even know they have them. It's up to the trainer to bring 'em out. Of course, having a pokemon encyclopedia doesn't hurt either."

Okay I admit that I ripped off that whole speech from Professor Juniper. I'd have to get more original. But the good thing was, Tony had finally gotten the sand out of his eyes. We were back in the game. Unfortunately, so was N. And he was done being merciful. Purrloin used Pursuit. And this time, Tony and I weren't fast enough to react. My little buddy was smacked across the face with the dark type move.

"Tony! Get up quick and use Quick Attack!"

"It's too late for that! Snivy!" N surprised me with this next ploy. Because suddenly, out of nowhere, a Snivy revealed herself from behind Tony, using Slam with her tail. Tony was knocked over and Purrloin was about to finish it, with Fury Swipes blazing. Man, Tony had already taken some pretty intense damage. Any more and his health could be in danger. I had no choice but to do what I did next.

"Tony! Return!" I grabbed Tony's luxury ball and got him back in it as fast as I could. The red beam of energy managed to be faster than Purrloin, allowing me to let out a sigh of relief as he was safe in his ball. But now I had a bigger problem. I didn't have any more defense. Tony had been my only shot and this N was far too strong.

"Typical. Confine him to that pokeball when-"

"Two on one's not fair!" I said like a child. In my defense, it wasn't fair. "What kind of trainer are you?"

"Trainer? You insult me! I am a trainer, yes. But unlike you, I do not enjoy the concept of condemning my fiends, the pokemon, into those blasted pokeballs."

"What are you talking about? I don't condemn them!"

"So, you're just like all the other foolish trainers I've faced. And you are none more impressive."

"Yeah?" That wasn't me. In fact, I didn't know who that was. All of a sudden, a voice spoke out from the shadows, and neither me or N could figure out where it was coming from. Whoever it was, I was just glad there was someone to distract N. "Well if you ask me N-boy, I think you've got your trainers mixed up."

"Who's there?" N questioned the voice, something I was a little too nervous to do.

"Oh, not important. All you need to know, is that whoever I am, I'm your worst nightmare!" As this person spoke, I heard a noise. Gradually, the noise grew louder and louder. But not so loud that it was obvious. Then I realized just where it was coming from. Above my head. I turned my head upwards to see a pokeball dropping from the sky. Well, not exactly a pokeball. I recognized it as a Fast Ball, a pokeball that worked better on speedy pokemon. And when that thing hit the ground and opened up wide, let's just say I got 'the look' again.

"A Dewott! No way!" I was in so much awe that I barely took out my pokedex to see just what the samurai otter was all about.

"_**Dewott, the Discipline Pokémon, and the evolved form of**_ _**Oshawott. Through rigid training, Dewott uses the double-scalchop technique to accomplish its fluid swordsmanship."**_

"What d'you say N? Care to face a non-newbie?"

N didn't respond. Instead, I noticed that he tapped his hat twice again, and right after, Purrloin used Sand Attack, tossing some dirt into the Dewott's face. But this wouldn't accomplish much. Because apparently, N didn't notice that Dewott had his eyes closed and his arms crossed this whole time. The sand didn't really have any dicsernable effect.

"Is that it? I don't really see how the kid lost to you exactly."

N's brow furrowed. He was clearly not enjoying this. His eyes darted to Snivy, and this time, he tapped his hat three times. Snivy seemed to understand, and all of a sudden, she was using Leaf Tornado. A flurry of leaves shot up from Snivy's tail as she began to spin on her head. The tornado came crashing down to earth in a big way, aiming right for the Dewott.

"Don't think so! Odie! Use Razor Shell!" Without opening his eyes, the Dewott used one of the scalchops on its hips as a sword, a bright blue watery aura bursting from it as it slashed right through the Leaf Tornado attack. Like a knife through butter, that Razor Shell literally sliced Snivy's attack in half and Dewott didn't stop there. After dispelling the attack, the Dewott slashed once more, this time attacking Snivy herself. Even after the Dewott had attacked, he put hius scalchop away and crossed his arms again. N and I were mystified as Snivy collapsed.

"What?" N was aghast. His grass type had been defeated by a single water type attack. That would be shocking for anyone I guess.

"Guess you haven't heard." The mysterious voice chuckled as Purloin got ready for battle with Dewott still just standing there. "So in that case..."

_?: __Well I don't show off, don't criticize_  
><em>I'm just livin' by my own feelings<em>  
><em>And I won't give in, won't compromise<em>  
><em>'Cause I just only have a steadfast heart of gold<em>

_I don't know why, I can't leave though it might be tough_  
><em>But I ain't out of control, just livin' by my word<em>  
><em>Don't ask me why, I don't need a reason<em>  
><em>I've got my way, my own way<em>

Dewott did a back flip as Purrloin tried to swipe at him with Pursuit. Dewott then fought right back with a water gun, giving Purrloin a nice blast.

_?: __It doesn't matter now what happens I will never give up the fight_  
><em>Long as the voice inside drives me to run and fight<em>  
><em>It doesn't matter who is wrong or who is right<em>

_Well I don't look back, I don't need to_  
><em>Time won't wait and I got so much to do<em>

_Where do I stop, now it's all a blur and so unclear_  
><em>Well I don't know but I can't be wrong<em>

Dewott used Aqua Jet to dodge Purrloin's Fury Swipes, and then using the same attack, charged into Purrloin, crushing her up against a tree.

_?:_ _It doesn't matter now what happens I will never give up the fight_  
><em>Long as the voice inside drives me to run and fight<em>  
><em>Place all your bets on what you think is right<em>

_It doesn't matter now what happens I will never give up the fight_  
><em>Long as the voice inside drives me to run and fight<em>  
><em>It doesn't matter who is wrong or who is right<em>

Purrloin was grasping at straws by this point. She tried one last ditch effort with a Slash, but Dewott decided that by this point, it was time to end it. Before Purrloin could even think about hitting him, Dewott gave the cat a slash with Razor Shell, forcing a fainting Purrloin to make a crash landing. N stood looking at the battlefield with widened eyes, as did I. That was just incredible. I don't think that Dewott got hit with a single attack.

"That's..." N was speechless. And so was I. This was one skilled Dewott.

"Well that was...something." The mysterious voice said as he revealed himself, emerging from the forest between me and N. And my heart nearly stopped when I saw who it was.

He was a young man, no older than fifteen or sixteen. His ponytailed silver hair shone in the moonlight, along with his glasses that had such a glint they hid his eyes from view. His fashion sense was just as odd as his looks. He was definitely a trainer, though trainers don't usually wear long sleeved clothing unless its a jacket. But there he was, on this chilly night with a thin open button shirt with another t-shirt underneath. He wore an X-transceiver, as well as fingerless gloves. One odd guy, but he was also one amazing guy. Know why? Because he was the Johto Region's champion. His name-

"Axel Igaul's the name, N." Axel said with rather a rather smug demeanor. "Don't you forget it now."

"I don't care." N replied. "You know, as long as people like you continue to confine my friends to pokeballs, they can never become perfect beings. They should be set free."

"Free? They're free now!" Axel continued to speak without the anger I'd put in my arguments. And oddly enough, he sounded a lot more convincing. And he wasn't even paying that much attention to the conversation. He was more focused on the defeated Snivy. He scooped her up in his arms and suffled around in his pockets for something. He removed a small plastic bag from which he took what I recognized as a Revive crystal. He placed the crystal in her mouth, letting her ingest it. In seconds the Snivy perked up, getting a very displeased face when she saw she was being held by a human. She leaped out of his arms, dashing off into the forest.

"They are not free. They have been enslaved by you humans who-"

"Enslaved? Not quite. Hey Odie!" The Dewott looked back at his trainer, letting his cool demeanor go for a moment. "Do you want to leave? You're free to." Suddenly the Dewott hadn't just lost his cool demeanor, he'd completely let go of it. Suddenly he leaped forwards, begging on his hands and knees.

"_Please don't make me go!" _I heard him say. Okay, so it wasn't just Tony now. I swallowed hard. This whole talking to pokemon thing just kept getting weirder.

"It's okay, it's okay." Axel replied, patting the Dewott's head. "I was just proving a point." That didn't stop the Dewott (apparently named Odie) glaring at N and getting a scalchop ready. Boy, was he mad at the guy who put the idea of letting him go in Axel's head. "Return!" Axel said as he used Odie's fast ball and recalled the otter. "Have I made myself clear N?"

"Hmph." N replied, not quite taking Odie's display into consideration. "I refuse to allow pokemon to suffer any further." And with that, N grabbed his Purrloin and wandered off into the woods.

"Um...aren't you gonna go after him?" I asked the famous trainer who simply shrugged.

"Meh. He's a good kid. Just a little mixed up on his priorities. Now, about that Victini you got there."

"Oh, right! He's hurt!" I suddenly panicked as I fumbled for his luxury ball. I didn't know what to do. I was out of potion. But Axel put a hand on my shoulder and snatched the ball from me. He then brought out another object from within his pockets. What he revealed, was a small slendrical object, almost like a pen. But it was purely metallic with a small red button on it, and just below this button was engraved the word 'sliph'. Axel pointed this object towards the luxury ball and pressed the button. The object lit up at the tip, and suddenly the ball began to make a humming noise.

"What are you doing?" I asked, blinking at the spectacle.

"Every pokeball has a sort of suspension system. So if your pokemon is poisoned or burned, they won't lose vitality while in the pokeball. It sort of heals your pokemon gradually as it were. Until you can get to a pokemon center. I'm just amplifying that system's power." Suddenly, the humming noise stopped and Axel ceased what he was doing, flipping the object back into his pocket and handed Tony back to me. "There we are, just give him some rest and he should be fine."

"Wow. Thanks." It took me a minute before I realized that my hero, the Johto league champion, was standing right in front of me. It was so long before I broke out in one of my most embarrassing moments. I turned into a total fanboy. "WAIT! YOU'RE AXEL IGAUL! YOU ACTUALLY CAME TO HELP ME! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down there. I was just passing through. But since you've got Victini, I guess I can assume you're Black, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I was here to see the professor. She just came back to her lab, y'see."

"Came back, why?"

"Well, it turns out she forgot another professor was visiting with a friend or two of his today. She rushed on back. Nice work telling N she'd gone."

"Well, I thought she had."

"Oh. Well that was lucky. Anyway, I paid her a visit, and she told me about the trainer she'd entrusted a pokedex to. If I remember correctly, she said 'there was just something about him. Something...untapped'. Gibberish to me, but anyone who can make friends with a mythical pokemon as easily as you did is no ordinary guy."

"Heh heh. Thanks."

"Although, your battle style could use a little work."

"Oh." I was depressed by that. I had hoped I would've sounded just a little more dignified during my speech, but I guess that battle spoke for itself. "Wait...YOU SAW THAT?"

"Oh yeah. I just wanted to see how far you'd come with Vic-. Sorry, I mean Tony. How's the journey going, anyway? How many pokemon have you caught?"

"Uhhhh."

"Oh I see. Not that many, huh? Don't worry, I only caught two on my first day. Although, I don't know if I caught them, or if they caught me."

"I...I didn't...catch anything."

"Oh. And here I've been going on about my captures. You should've shut me up sooner. Hmm. What to do with you." Axel suddenly started pacing, like he was trying to solve a hard math equation. But in a few seconds, he adjusted his glasses and turned back to me. "Hey! I know! Since you've already taken on one responsibility, how about another?"

"What? What responsibility?"

"Duh. Tony. And since you're low on pokemon, would you like me to give you another...in a sense?"

"You'd give me a pokemon? Really?"

"Yeah...in a sense." Axel knelt down, taking his backpack off and opening it up. He then carefully placed both hands on something within his bag. He was being extremely cautious, like he was holding a bomb or something. But when he showed me what was inside, I nearly passed out from excitement.

It was an egg. A pokemon egg. He wasn't holding the egg itself, he was holding the glass case it was in. The case itself had a cushion for the egg and was equipped with a pokeball on top. The egg within was a creamy white, but it appeared as though someone had pured a can of blue paint all over it. I was amazed, I'd never seen an egg up close.

"Now Black. I can tell you know what this is."

"Heck yeah, I do."

"Then you also know how big a job this is. I picked this egg up from a breeder near Opelucid City. But I don't really have time to take care of this little guy. Plus, the egg takes up a spot in my party. And I'd prefer to have that slot open. You know where I'm going with this."

"I can have the egg? REALLY?"

"Yes, but he's not like Tony. This guy can't take care of himself until he hatches. Think you can manage it?"

"Yeah! I'll do it! You can count on me!"

"Glad to hear it." Axel handed me the egg, and I was never letting that thing go. I began to wonder about all the possible pokemon that could hatch from it. Maybe an Axew, or a Sandile, or maybe even a Hydreigon...probably not. "Now what d'you say you set up camp for the night? Speaking of which, your net looks a little trashed."

"Huh?" I replied before remembering that N had gotten my attention by slicing apart my net. I looked up at the thing. Yeah, it was totally chopped in half. I sighed. Well there went that plan.

"Ha. No worries, I always have a spare." Axel shuffled around in his bag once more, this time tossing me an extra net. "Set that up. As for me, I'd better get going. Places to go, pokemon to battle." Axel tossed a pokeball, and this time a pokemon I knew wasn't from the Unova region came out.

"YOUR DRAGONITE? TOO COOL!" I shouted with such a voice that could wake a Snorlax. May not have been the best idea in a forest full of pokemon. But that was the least of my worries. Axel's Dragonite was his first pokemon. And boy was he huge and menacing. The orange colored dragon was quite compliant as Axel got on his back. In fact, he looked quite happy to be with his friend.

"Oh, by the way. You forgot these." Axel said as he reached into his bag one more time. He pulled out two things this time. I caught them both as he passed them to me. One was a badge case. The other, an X-transceiver.

"Where'd you get these?"

"The professor asked me to give them to you in case we ever crossed paths. Be seeing you kid!" Axel said farewell as his Dragonite took off, leaving as fast as I'd ever seen anything go. And as I prepared myself for bed, unbeknownst to me, Axel used his X-transceiver. And in the audio-only conversation, he spoke thusly.

"Hey there. How's it going?"

"You have not called in a long time. What has happened?"

"Oh, relax would 'ya? Besides, I haven't forgotten our mission."

"See that you don't. Have you found anything?"

"Nothing regarding Team Plasma directly. Though I have met a strange kid named N. He seems to have the same ideals. He might be worth keeping an eye on."

"Understood. I'll look into it. Anything else?"

"Well." Axel paused. "I may have just found an ally."

**End of chapter three. **

**Well, that's it for today. Oh, and I suppose I should let you know that the song featured in this chapter was "It Doesn't Matter" by Tony Harnell. **

**Also, before I go, you should know that I'm considering making one OC a travelling companion. Depends on how good they are. Also, if you've got an OC you're thinking for this role, you'll need to tell me their dreams and fears as well. Nothing too big, right?**

**Next chapter, we get to Accumula Town. Seeya then!**


	4. The Battle Club

**Alright, let chapter four begin! This chapter came quick didn't it? Since the story just started, I want to get a good hunk of the story out so people don't get bored. From here on I'll try to update weekly, but that's not a sure thing. Anyway, I'm just rambling, so enjoy the chapter! **

**PS - Thanks all you reviewers! You've made my day! Even if it might've just been so you could submit an OC!**

**Also, new narration format.**

_(Underlined italics in brackets indicate choreography during a music number.) _

**Chapter 4: The Battle Club**

"Your pokemon is looking great! And your egg is in perfect condition!" The Nurse Joy of Accumula Town's pokemon center said cheerfully as she handed Tony's luxury ball to me. As well as my egg once my hands were free.

"Thanks Nurse Joy!" I replied with a smile. She nodded back and waved as I departed from the pokemon center. I took in the air of Accumula Town. Here it was. The first stepping stone. And although I didn't want to admit it, it took a lot to get here. N had flattened us, and I wasn't looking forward to a repeat of that. As such, I was headed for the number one training spot in any city. Only known as...

Hold that thought. Because at that moment, the luxury ball on my belt burst open without a single touch from me. And in seconds, Tony had appeared on my shoulder, yawning.

"What the-? How'd you-?" I spluttered as Tony smiled at me and scratched the back of his giant ears with one of his feet.

"_It smells good out here." _Tony replied, not giving me a real answer on how he got out of his ball. I sighed, hopped on my board and got on the road so I wouldn't hit anyone on the sidewalk. Just one more thing to get used to with Tony I guess. "_Where we going?"_

"A place where we can train. It's called the Pokemon Battle Club." I made sure to whisper this to him as I passed by the bystanders. I didn't want anyone thinking I was nuts.

"_Oh." _Tony said while continuing to give his ears a good scratch, not interested in the slightest. "_Hey Bro, I'm hungry."_

"You're always hungry." I shot back at him. He simply gave me his traditional grin and I rolled my eyes. And nearly hit a parked car by doing so. I should really pay more attention to the road. Especially since I'd just passed the rectangular building that was the battle club. I braked and scooped up my board right away, rushing right into the building. And it was amazing.

I got 'the look' once again. But this time, it wasn't because I saw a pokemon. I was in one heck of an entrance hall. The red-carpeted floors under my feet led to a pair of staircases which opened up to a higher level. The whole hall was packed with trainers who seemed to be preparing their pokemon for battle. And in front of my stood a podium with a computer screen showcasing many trainer profiles. I approached it and touched the selection which said 'Search for a Battling Partner'. This was so cool. I'd heard of these places and their variety of trainers, but I didn't know just how many there were. All the trainers had created a profile for themselves, ranking their own skill. It would be easy to find someone at Tony's level.

"Let's see." I said to myself as I shuffled through the profiles. "We don't want someone too good. But then again, we don't want someone who stinks either. Hmmmm."

"Well hello there." I heard a man say from in front of the computer. I looked up to see a mustached man in his thirties with a karate outfit with a red collar, red belt and red cuffs. He looked rather intimidating with his furrowed brow and his admittedly buff figure. "Itching for a battle, are we?"

"Um...yes sir." I replied, hoping this guy wasn't planning on battling me. But he simply chuckled and patted me on the back, which almost made my knees buckle.

"Sir? We don't get too formal 'round here, son. Just call me Don George. Everyone else does. I run this here battle club."

"Oh, really? Cool."

"Ha ha. I suppose. Say, I've never seen that pokemon you've got on your shoulder there. Is he a new one?"

"_I'm Tony! And this is my human Bro!" _Sometimes Tony says the weirdest things. He hopped into my arms and I just blinked at him. I was his human? Okaaaaay.

"My name's Black." I explained as Tony waved at him. "And this is Tony. He's a Victini."

"A Victini you say? I haven't heard of that pokemon." Don George rubbed the top of Tony's head causing the victory pokemon to grin even wider, if that's possible. "Quite the friend you've got here. He must be a rare one."

"I'll say." I was meeting a lot of new people today. And this guy was, by far, my least favourite. I turned around, finding a young man about my age with dirty blond hair that he clearly straightened out every day. His eyes were of a pale gray, and they just screamed arrogance. He wore traditional travelling attire, but the weird thing was, he took out a digital camera and snapped a picture of Tony and I. "Some people prefer to use the word 'mythical'. But I know it's a legendary pokemon."

"LEGENDARY?" That one word suddenly rang throughout the whole battle club, making my eardrums almost pop. I turned around and gulped. Every single solitary trainer in the battle club was suddenly staring at Tony with gaping mouths. Maybe letting the legendary pokemon be seen by nearly everyone in the world wasn't the best idea. Before I knew it, a swarm of trainers had crowded around me, all spouting the same thing. "BATTLE ME! COME ON! WE'LL GO EASY ON YOU!"

"Please." The sarcasm voice of the photo-snapping kid broke through the loud voices of the crowd. I turned around, seeing that same guy push the people of the crowd out of his way so we could see each other. "If you're battling anyone, it's me."

"And...why would I do that?" I asked him as Tony waved at all the people giving him attention. I'd have to teach him that having people recognize him was not a good thing. What if Team Plasma was right outside the door listening in? Granted, it's not very likely, but all the same.

"Hmph. I just started my journey, and I may not get another chance to battle a legendary pokemon. I'd like to give it a try."

"Uh-huh. I repeat. Why should _I _agree to battle you?"

"Tch." The kid said, too impatient with me for words. "The name is Trip. I'm asking you to please have a battle with me."

"Well. Alright." He really wanted to battle Tony. And even though I hadn't come across any data on him, he did say he just started out. How tough could he be?

"We'll make it simple. One on one." That was good, seeing as how I didn't have any other pokemon. Trip shuffled away as the crowd parted to make way for him and I to get to the battlefield. I followed, albeit a little hesitantly.

And boy, was it a battlefield to behold. The highest quality soil had been brought in to make this beast. It was more like a stadium than a training area. Bleachers stood at both sides, and soon they were overflowing with trainers waiting to see the battle. The lines of the field had been expertly drawn with no margin of error. The walls weren't so much walls as they were one giant window. The sun shone brightly through the glass, eliminating the need for any artificial light. A television screen had been perched above the bleachers on my right-hand side, and almost immediately a picture of Trip showed up on one side, while my side remained blank. I guess it was because I didn't have a battle club record on standby. Oh well. I'd have to fix that later.

"This battle between Black and Trip will now begin!" The referee, also known as Don George, stood at the center-sideline, officially starting off the battle. "The trainers must now release their pokemon!"

"You're up Tony!" Tony leapt out of my arms as I told him this. He was dancing again, obviously too fired up to be battling after the...unpleasantness with N.

"Hmm." Trip appeared to be thinking as he snapped more pictures of my dancing friend. I just wished he would start the battle. When he did put his camera down, it was only because he couldn't release a pokemon without risking dropping the thing. "Pidove! Go!"

The small pidgeon pokemon was released while in flight. It cried at me with a high-pitched voice I couldn't understand. This was just getting weird. Not that it wasn't weird before. I could understand Tony, I could understand Axel Igaul's Dewott. But most other pokemon just sounded the same to me. Oh well.

"The first attack is yours." Trip said very politely. First polite thing he did actually.

"Thanks! Tony! Start off with Quick Attack!" Tony nodded and started moving, his body eventually gaining the speed he needed. He charged right at Pidove and jumped so he could actually hit the bird.

"Pidove! Dodge!" Tony's attack wasn't fast enough. Pidove gave a strong flap of the wings, leaving Tony shooting at nothing but air. "Now use Air Cutter!" Pidove flapped his wings, causing sharp air currents to fly right at the vulnerable Tony, knocking him for a loop. Despite this though, my pal landed on his feet, still fighting the violent air currents.

"Tony! Stop him with Confusion!"

"Not gonna work! Fly around the room!" Trip was sure smart, I'd give him that. Pidove ceased his aerial attack and started zipping and zigzagging all throughout the battlefield. He was flying so rapidly, that Tony couldn't possibly get a lock on him. And if Tony couldn't focus on his target, he couldn't use Confusion. "Now Aerial Ace!" For a moment, Pidove disappeared entirely, making Tony panic. I tried to warn him, but before I could say a word, Pidove reappeared right behind Tony with a beak glowing white. Tony was knocked across the battlefield near Trip's feet and the Pidove got back to hovering once again.

"Incinerate!" I shouted in desperation. Tony complied, turning around and blasting at Pidove, creating an attack that far exceeded the one he'd done last night. Hey, maybe we'd land a hit this time.

"Double Team! Then Aerial Ace!" It was no good. Tony shot at a Pidove, but it wasn't the right one. Double Team had allowed the bird to make non-tangible clones of himself. And the real one avoided fire (no pun intended) so he could give Tony a good smackdown with Aerial Ace. Tony got up, but more slowly this time. It didn't look good.

_Quick Attack, Confusion, Incinerate, he has a counter for everything I do. _I thought to myself with clenched teeth. _Come on, there's got to be something I haven't thought of yet! Something about this battle that I didn't quite- _It came to me. I had overlooked something, but it was not about Tony's battling. It was about Pidove's. The words of my pokedex came rushing back to me all of a sudden.

"_**Pidove, the Tiny Pidgeon pokemon. Each follows its Trainer's orders as best it can, but they sometimes fail to understand complicated commands."**_

Yeah, that would do.

"Tony! Jump! And aim Confusion at the ground!" There were confused mumblings in the crowd. Even Trip looked confused at what I was trying to do. But Tony didn't doubt me for a second. He leaped immediately, and shot a wave of psychic power directly below him. And when it it the dirt floor, a cloud of dust shot up, shrouding both pokemon within its confines.

"No! Pidove! Flap your wings and blow it all away!" Trip made the order. But all that happened was an Air Cutter attack. It blasted through the dust cloud but it didn't dispel it. "Pidove! What are you doing?"

"Tony! You don't have much time! Use Confusion to find Pidove, then give him an Incinerate!" I'd hardly finished saying it before a column of fire burst from the top of the dust cloud, and when it had ceased, what fell to the ground in front of me was a very roasted Pidove. "Don't give him time to recover! Use Quick Attack!" Tony didn't hesitate once again. He dashed out of the cloud with lightning speed, tackling Pidove and causing even more damage.

"Pidove! Don't just take it! Use-"

"Sorry Trip! But it's over! Tony use Confusion!" The moment of victory was here. A blue aura had surrounded the weakened Pidove, levitating him into the air and leaving him as an open target for...

"INCINERATE!" Tony launched his final attack, and the resulting blast shot the pidgeon straight to the roof. And that's not a figure of speech, Pidove literally hit the roof, descending to the ground in a slump. As he'd already fainted, Tony laid him down gently with Confusion before Don George gave the final judgement.

"Trip's Pidove is unable to battle! The victory goes to Victini and Black!" The TV screen flashed my name under the word 'winner' and the crowds began to cheer. Funny. I'd completely forgotten they were there. And Tony had forgotten about his battle scars, apparently, since he rushed back to me and leapt right back into my arms.

"_Yay! Yay! Yay! Bro! We did it! We did it! We did it!" _Tony screeched with joy, showing his classic peace sign to Trip, who grunted at his loss. I did the same as Tony, giggling my head off. We did it. We won.

"Yeah!" I shouted with more glee than I'd ever had before. "V is for victory!"

"That was quite the turn-around." Don George said as he applauded. I hardly heard him over the sound of my ego coming into bloom. That was simply awesome. Tony put his heart into that, and I couldn't be more amazed at his strength. "I can see why people call that Victini mythical. You turned a rotten situation into a great one with just one attack."

"That's my pal Tony for 'ya." I boasted. "Always ready to kick some-"

My bragging would have to wait. Suddenly, a euphoria of light invaded the room like a bulldozer through a wall. All eyes were suddenly on Trip's Pidove as he was completely enveloped in an impressive white light. Trip smirked and got his camera ready. At first I wondered what was happening. Was this some sort of recovery move? But then I realized exactly what was gpoing on. That Pidove was evolving.

The shining Pidove seemed to quadruple in size, gaining more distinct shapes as he slowly rose to my height. And the following cry was much more intimidating as he opened his beak. I was blown away as I saw the Pidove slowly evolve into Tranquill.

"Wow. No way." I said as I flipped open my pokedex and hit the scanner button.

"_**Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove. It is believed that a peaceful place without conflict exists deep in the forest where Tranquill live. "**_

"Hmph. Knew it was close to evolving." Trip said with no emotion whatsoever as he brought out his pokeball and recalled his newly evolved flying pokemon. And most snooty of all, he gave me a glare, took a picture of my confused face and left the field. I never did learn that guy's issue. Oh well, not my problem. All I knew was that my little buddy had just kicked some tail. And there was absolutely nothing in the world that could possibly spoil-

(Sigh). Forget I said anything. Life just loves killing my buzz. The trouble started with a bang. Or rather, a continuous banging noise. The heads in the arena looked all around, everyone trying to find the source of the banging that was steadily growing louder. Tony's ears were twitching. No wonder. With ears that big, I wouldn't be surprised if he heard a grass snake pokemon break off a grate in the wall. Then again, everyone heard that since it was actually happening.

The steel grate of an air vent above the bleachers shot right out of its sockets, as if it had been hit with a battering ram. It landed right near my feet, dented like nobody's business. And before anyone even understood what had just happened, a Snivy had leapt out of the vent, lashing out with Vine Whip at anyone and everyone. Trainers left and right were scrambling to get out of the way of Snivy's vines. And they had every reason to. That Snivy had a lot of power. Enough of which to create a gigantic dent in the metal seats. Yikes. Don't jump in front of that bus.

Pretty soon, everyone else had caught on with just how good this Snivy was. And they all got the same gleam in their eye. They weren't concerned with all the damage she was doing. They just wanted to catch her.

Snivy hardly blinked as she was surrounded by both trainers and pokemon. In fact, she sighed. And when they all leaped at her at once, all she did was flip herself onto her hands so she could use Leaf Tornado. The attack itself blew away all those who approached, leaving humans and pokemon cut and battered on their backs. The Snivy smirked, just until her eyes set on me. She clenched her teeth. And suddenly, she had eyes for no one else. Well, just for a second. Until she decided to go crazy once again with Vine Whip. The difference this time was that she didn't just thrash around wildly. She had a specific target in mind. Her vines went straight for the pokeballs attached to the belts of the dazed trainers. I gasped as she snapped the empty balls with a single lash of her Vine Whip. And even those with pokemon in them stood no chance against her attacks. And those pokeballs immediately released the creatures within their confines. Pretty soon, the whole battlefield was filled with pokemon that had quite literally been torn from their pokeballs. And the confused trainers couldn't do a thing about it. Suddenly, it was feeling a lot more cramped in there. Pokemon of all types were staring around the room with confusion, not sure why they'd been called out. And before any of these people even realized what this Snivy had done, the Snivy was hopping over the struggling forms of those she'd defeated, making her way to the door and leaping out.

"Oh no you don't!" I called after her as I too did my very best to get past all these people and pokemon. Don George was up to his knees in Patrats and was still trying to help those that had been knocked out by Snivy's Leaf Tornado. Which meant I was alone in going after this abnormally powerful Snivy. Great. I've always wanted a death sentence. I followed Snivy right out into the entrance hall again. I thought she'd be running out the door and I'd have to chase her into the city. But quite on the contrary, she was standing right in the middle of the hall, staring daggers at me as I ran in. It's almost like she was...waiting for me.

"Sni! Sni! Snivy!" She started yelling at me. And the weird thing was, she sounded almost as intimidating as Carol was when I didn't comb my hair. Almost.

"_Hey! What do you mean! Bro's not like that!" _Tony retorted with a surprisingly booming voice. He was growling at Snivy with a passion, and it only took a few seconds for him to tear himself out of my grip and get ready for battle.

"Sni!" Snivy was getting rather snooty at this point, sticking her nose up at Tony. And this was the very first time I saw Tony take a major mood swing. He'd gone from incredibly cheerful to an optimist's worst nightmare. He was so ticked off he fired off Incinerate right away without a word from me. Snivy gracefully stepped out of the way, making me gasp. But not from her moves, I knew she had those. But Tony's Incinerate was taking priority.

There was a Joltik in the corner, near an outlet. And he was enjoying a hearty meal of electricity right from the wall. It was zapping right into his incisors, and he was savoring every jolt. But the problem was, Tony's Incinerate was headed right for him. I didn't hesitate. I dashed right towards the small bug pokemon, who'd just noticed the mass amount of heat headed his way. Unfortunately, he was too scared to move, forcing me to hustle. And just as Joltik closed his eyes before impact, I dived, sliding across the floor and grabbing the Joltik in the palm of my hand. I slid right out of reach of Incinerate, though my shoes got a little singed. But other than that, I was all clear to breath myself a sigh of relief. I sat up and cupped my hands together, seeing that the Joltik was still shaking with his eyes closed, his legs clamped over his head. After a moment, he realized that he wasn't being burned to a crisp and blinked his eyes open, seeing my face smiling at him.

"You okay, little guy?" I asked as he let out a deep sigh. His relief was short-lived, since I gently put him back down on the floor. He looked back up at me with confused eyes. "You better find a safe place to hide buddy. Go on." I gently nudged him in the direction of some potted plants. He scuttled off, although a little hesitantly.

"Sni...vy?" I turned my head. And I nearly gasped once again. Snivy was...speechless. She was staring at me without a thought of blinking. But she shook her head and simply got back her intense demeanor. Her eye twitched and I noticed something for the first time. A cut on her tail. One of the leaves on her tail just seemed to...end. Without a point. That only meant one thing. She'd recently been hit with a slashing attack. Like Cut, Slash, Leaf Blade or...

"Razor Shell." I blinked as smooth realization came over me. "Wait. You're the same Snivy from last night!"

"Snivy. Sni." Snivy wasn't phased that I recognized her. Instead, her eyes simply locked onto my belt. And then she got her Vine Whip ready.

"Not happening! Tony! Redirect those vines with Confusion!" Snivy lashed out at me, but those same vines were then surrounded with a blue aura, and with Tony's psychic abilities, they stopped in their tracks. But unfortunately, Tony was still a little bruised from his battle with Trip's Pidove. He didn't quite have the focus to redirect the vines. Snivy turned her head back at him, continuing to fight the Confusion at full strength. Tony was trying just as hard to keep those vines under control. It was a stalemate. But at the rate things were going, it looked like Tony would be caving first. He was just completely wiped out, and those vines were starting to move again.

"Come on Tony! Don't give up!" Tony was squinting as he continued to focus. His powers were still fizzling though. "You can do it! I know we can slow this Snivy down! All we gotta do is-"

I never finished that sentence. I was too amazed, after all. Sometimes, the world just hands you a freebie. Because the Snivy was so focused on Tony that she failed to notice the sparking cobweb flying right at her. The Electroweb attack landed on Snivy's back, making the grass snake pokemon widen her eyes just before the electricity hit her system, shocking her and allowing Tony to gain control of Vine Whip and smack down Snivy with her own attack. And before I even saw the Electroweb, I realized who'd tossed it. In an instant, the lightning-quick (again, no pun intended) Joltik walked himself over to Tony's side, a serious look on his two tiny blue eyes. And that wasn't all. The Joltik was charging an amazing amount of electricity at his mouth, forming it into a giant electric sphere.

"What the heck?" I asked myself. Then I realized that was a stupid question since I could just ask the pokedex. I flipped it out quick and scanned that attack.

"_**Electro Ball. An attack that grows in strength when the user is faster than the target."**_

"Hey! Awesome! And the Elctroweb just slowed her down! Now that's a cool pokemon!" Joltik's face had a shade of red as I praised him. Almost like he was embarrassed or something as he launched the Electro Ball. And since Snivy was still getting a voltage spider web treatment, she could hardly avoid it. When the attack landed, she fell flat on her face.

"Don't let her get up Tony! Use Incinerate!" Tony was more than willing to comply. He shot his attack with perfect accuracy, blasting Snivy right into the wall. And right then, I knew it was time.

"Okay! Pokeball, go!" I grabbed an empty pokeball, enlarged it, and tossed it right at Snivy. Too weak to resist, Snivy was shut inside. The button in the center blinked red, and the ball began to roll. Once. Twice. Three times. Four times. Whoever made these pokeballs was a master of suspense. I gulped on every roll, thinking Snivy could burst out and give us a thrashing like we'd never forget.

But with a 'ding' noise, the pokeball ceased to roll, and I could hardly believe it. I rubbed my eyes to see if I was just hallucinating. But it was really happening. It had already happened. I just caught a pokemon. The toughest one I'd seen yet.

"YEAH!" I exclaimed in utter joy as I picked up the pokeball and did a little spin, posing to Tony and the Joltik with the ball in my outstretched fist. "Alright! We caught Snivy!"

"_We did it! We did it! We did it!" _Tony said in a sing-songy voice. He was dancing his little jig, happy as could be. Unfortunately, he was a little out of control, forcing the Joltik to dodge his steps.

"And thanks for the help little guy. Couldn't have done it without you." I said as I knelt next to the small bug-type pokemon. He got red again with embarrassment, making me laugh. "But why'd you help us out like that?"

"_You...you said you wanted to slow her down." _Joltik responded.

"Grk!" Oh great. This one too? Why was it I could only talk to certain pokemon and not others? Crazy. But what was crazier was that the Joltik used his stubby little legs and crawled towards me. And with an incredible feat, he jumped onto my head. Whoa, that was one agile insect.

"_And you helped me too. Thank you."_

"Uh...no problem." I liked this Joltik. And apparently he liked me, because he wouldn't get down. Well, he did get down. Down to my belt. He had crawled his way down my back and went to where my pokeballs were. He clacked his foot against an empty one, and he was instantly warped inside. My eyes widened as the ball made the same 'ding' noise. Indicating that he'd just...caught himself. I grabbed the ball and held it in the palm of my hand. And then I grinned like a madman. He was certainly insistent. "Hey come on out!"

The Joltik rematerialized on my head again as I opened the pokeball. He didn't really have lips, so I couldn't know for sure. But it looked to me that he was really happy up there on my hat.

"I take it...this means...YOU WANNA COME WITH US?"

"_Uh-huh. You're the first person who didn't try to squish me. Please? Can I come with you?"  
><em>  
>"YEAH! TOTALLY!" I screamed as the Joltik clacked his incisors together with joy.<p>

"WHERE'D THAT SNIVY GO?" I heard a multitude of voices shriek, all at the same time. Uh oh. If they realized I'd just caught Snivy, then I might have had to pay for all their pokeballs. I dashed out of the battle club as fast as I could. Tony leaped onto my shoulder as I leaped on my skateboard. Tony was laughing away as I boosted us away from the battle club. And my new awesome Joltik was hanging on for dear life.

"Hey that reminds me." I said, getting Joltik's attention. "Do you want a nickname?"

"_Nickname?" _Joltik asked, prompting Tony to answer.

"_It's what we call you. I'm Tony!"_

"_Oh. Okay! Yeah! I like that!"_

"Okay, let's see. Joltik. Joltik. Jol. Joel? How 'bout Joel?"

"_Joel...?" _At first I thought he didn't like it. I thought he was gonna give me a zap for coming up with such a stupid idea. But then I heard his incisors clack together in joy. "_Joel. I like it. Please, call me that."_

"Alright-y then. Joel! Tony! Y'know, I just gotta feeling that together, nothing can stop us now!"

_Black:_ _Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time,_  
><em>I feel alive and the world it's turning inside out Yeah!<em>  
><em>I'm floating around in ecstasy,<em>  
><em>So don't stop me now. Don't stop me.<em>  
><em>'Cause I'm having a good time! Having a good time!<em>

_I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies,_  
><em>Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity!<em>  
><em>I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva!<em>  
><em>I'm gonna go go go,<em>  
><em>There's no stopping me!<em>

_I'm burning through the skies Yeah!_  
><em>Two hundred degrees,<em>  
><em>That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!<em>  
><em>I'm trav'ling at the speed of light!<em>  
><em>I wanna make a supersonic man out of you!<em>

_Don't stop me now! I'm having such a good time!_  
><em>I'm having a ball. Don't stop me now!<em>  
><em>If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call!<em>  
><em>Don't stop me now! <em>

_Tony and Joel: __('Cause I'm having a good time.)_

_Black: __Don't stop me now! _

_Tony and Joel: __(Yes I'm having a good time.)_

_Black: __I don't want to stop at all!_

_I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars,_  
><em>On a collision course,<em>  
><em>I am a satellite, I'm out of control,<em>  
><em>Like an atom bomb about to,<em>  
><em>Oh oh oh oh oh explode!<em>

_I'm burning through the skies Yeah!_  
><em>Two hundred degrees,<em>  
><em>That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!<em>  
><em>I'm trav'ling at the speed of light!<em>  
><em>I wanna make a supersonic woman out of you!<em>

_Don't stop me, don't stop me, don't stop me!_  
><em>Hey hey hey!<em>  
><em>Don't stop me, don't stop me!<em>  
><em>Ooh ooh ooh (I like it)!<em>  
><em>Don't stop me; have a good time, good time,<em>  
><em>Don't stop me don't stop me,<em>  
><em>Ooh ooh Alright!<em>  
><em>I'm burning through the skies Yeah!<em>  
><em>Two hundred degrees,<em>

_Tony: __That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!_

_Joel: __I'm trav'ling at the speed of light!_

_(Black stares at Snivy's pokeball)_

_Black: __I wanna make a supersonic woman of you!_

_Don't stop me now! I'm having such a good time!_  
><em>I'm having a ball don't stop me now!<em>  
><em>If you wanna have a good time!<em>  
><em>Just give me a call!<em>  
><em>Don't stop me now!<em>

_Tony and Joel: __('Cause I'm having a good time)_

_Black: __Don't stop me now!_

_Tony and Joel: __(Yes I'm having a good time)_

_Black: __I don't want to stop at all!_

**End of Chapter Four.**

**Well there we go. Have a good day everyone! Keep sending in those OC's! I haven't decided which of them I'll be using yet. It's up in the air right now.  
><strong>


	5. Alicia

**Welcome back everyone! And no more OC's? I don't even have the twelve I need. Oh well, I'll just have to announce who I'll be using in a couple (maybe more) chapters. **

**Review Responses: harison86 - Nobody's OC will be used for a while. I'll be using the OC's later. Maybe a lot, maybe a few, it depends how many more people submit some, as well as who followed the format and how much personality you gave them (hint hint)) as well as one extra for a traveling companion. Don't worry, with so few OC's coming in, I'm sure everyone who has submitted one will have their character in it at some point. (But seriously, ****personality)**

**Cast Giga Flare - Yes, I know I haven't been and will continue to not be creative with the names. But you look me in the eye and tell me the nicknames in the manga are any better.**

**Sorry for being a little rude just now, enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 5: Alicia**

The heat of the sun was making Tony pant as we trudged through the not-so-dimly lit forest. Since I'd just caught him (so to speak) Joel was staying out for a while. But he was smaller, and therefore, caught some shade under my hat. And every few minutes, I could feel the hair under my hat standing up, meaning he was having a static electricity snack. Oh well, at least I wouldn't have to worry about feeding him. Of course, I knew that three days ago. Because that's how long it had been since we'd departed from Accumula Town.

Speaking of recently caught pokemon, on the first day I left Accumula Town it suddenly dawned on me that Snivy hadn't been let out of her pokeball since I caught her. Hee hee. I caught her. Sorry, gotta focus. I couldn't think of a reason not to let her out. Or rather, I had grabbed her pokeball from my belt before I could. Boy, am I ever stupid. When I opened her pokeball, she had hardly emerged before I got smacked in the face with a Vine Whip. I toppled backwards and my hat fell off, Joel coming right with it. Joel landed upside down, his legs dangling in the air as he tried to get right-side-up.

"YOWCH!" I proclaimed to the heavens as I sat up, rubbing my bruised face. Tony had somehow managed to hang onto my shoulder and was scurrying over to Joel to help the small tick pokemon get off his head. He carefully turned the insect over. Tony gently tipped Joel onto his feet, and once the bug saw what freight train had just collided with us, he screeched and took refuge behind my hat.

Snivy was giving me the creepiest, most irritated glare I'd ever seen in my life. I swallowed hard. I thought, once I caught her, she'd chill out a little. Guess that plan failed. I didn't hesitate in grabbing her pokeball from my belt and getting ready for her to return. But she wasn't going down without a fight. In an instant, she started up Leaf Tornado, and the pokeball got caught up in the vortex, taking a one-way trip out of my hand.

"Hey!" I really regretted saying that instead of dodging the next Vine Whip. Again I was smacked across the face, leaving a pretty big bruise. Man that hurt. "GEEZ! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" That could wait. Because Snivy was making a beeline right for her pokeball. If she broke that thing she' be loose and attacking trainers randomly once again. "Ah crud! Tony use Incinerate!"

Snivy didn't see the blast of fire coming and was hit right across the face. I scrambled for her pokeball and snatched it up as quick as I could. I flipped myself around so that I could face Snivy and hit the recall button. Snivy hadn't quite recovered yet (thank God) and I was able to get her back in her pokeball. I groaned and laid back, nursing my wounds.

"Looks like we won't be using Snivy for a while." I said as Tony stepped onto my chest so he could look me in the eye.

"_Hey Bro...?"_

"Yeah. You're hungry, I get it." Well I'll give Tony this. I was getting used to him. But I couldn't blame him for being hungry. After all, his stomach wasn't the one growling. Mine was.

"_Bro, I think you have a pokemon in your tummy."_

"Yep. And he's saying it's lunch time. Heh heh." Tony moved himself to my lap as I sat up and shuffled around in my bag. Tony grabbed the can from my fingertips and used Confusion to get the lid off. Yikes. I'd have to keep a close eye on these cans. They could all disappear any second with Tony's appetite.

In fact I hardly heard my hat slowly being dragged towards me through Tony's chewing. But there it was. My hat was moving towards me, seemingly by itself. I snickered and picked it up off the ground, revealing Joel inside.

"Thanks Joel." Joel nodded and latched onto my jacket so he could have his static lunch as well. I strapped my hat back on and stared at Snivy's pokeball. Maybe it would be best to feed her at a pokemon center. It didn't look like she'd be taking anything from me anytime soon. I sighed. I knew training would be tough, but I didn't think the pokemon I was training would despise me with a passion. Man. Did other trainers have to deal with stuff like this?

I had no choice but to find a pokemon center out in the wilderness. It wasn't easy, but I weeded one out that resembled a cabbin off the beaten path. I'm sure glad they built these everywhere. It made for good rest spots. Once inside, Nurse Joy gave me a private room where I could feed Snivy. And let's just say, I got more bruised than I've ever been before she finally realized that my way would be the only way she would eat.

"Phew." I said to myself as I leaned up against the wooden door, Snivy grumpily eating the bowl of food I'd set in the middle of the room. Snivy had almost given me a concussion and slightly maimed a poor bunk bed. I felt sorry for the next poor sap who slept in the top bunk...or the bottom one. Geez, whoever ticked this snake off so much should really get fined. This was just ridiculous.

Snivy knew what was coming after she'd finished. So instead of giving me the seventh black eye of the day, she just crossed her arms and waited for me to get out the pokeball. I sighed as I gave my face a good massage. I recalled the irritated Snivy as quickly as I could and left the room. Tony gave me a surprise when he jumped onto my shoulder. And before I could see anything other than an orange blur, I felt something sticky and warm hit my face. I touched my cheek real quick and felt a band-aid. When I brought my hand away, I cringed. I'd drawn blood, genuine blood. I turned my head a little to see Tony looking at me with a concerned face. I rubbed the top of his head resulting in his mouth grinning and his ears getting a gentle warmth.

"That Victini was really worried about you." Nurse Joy said as she approached from down the hall. "And so was I. We could hear that Snivy's attacks all the way from the main lobby. Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I replied as I brought out Tony's luxury ball while I distracted him by scratching his ears. "Snivy just doesn't like me too much."

"If I may, could I tell you something, Black?"

"Sure, shoot."

"In my job, I see a lot of trainers and their pokemon. Some pokemon don't like their trainers, but they've never openly attacked them."

"So, what are you saying?"

"Black...I'm sorry to say that it may be more than a matter of not getting off on the right foot. Do you know where that Snivy came from?"

"Well, I knew her previous...uh...trainer." I guess I could call N that. But he wasn't really like that in the traditional sense. Come to think of it, I didn't really know what N was. I'm getting off topic again. "But he didn't seem like the person who would mistreat her."

"Hmmm. Black, this might be the result of a complete mistrust and hatred in humans. Black. If you don't do something, that Snivy could become a complete danger to those around her."

"Is...is it that serious?"

"Yes. A pokemon with that much hatred and power working together can only end badly."

"Um...not to be rude, but how can you be so sure of all this?"

"Oh? You don't know? Well, I'm not only a member of the nurse joy family, but I'm also the number one pokemon psychiatrist in all of Unova!" Nurse Joy did a little spin and posed with a peace sign.

That...just...I'm never bringing that up again.

And then the trouble began. The lights went out. And that's not the only strange thing. As Nurse Joy and I glanced around in confusion, wondering what just did that, we could both hear the electronic locks on the doors of the rooms automatically click shut simultaneously. Our jaws dropped open, but we couldn't be as surprised as we were when the automatic glass door at the other end of the hall closed and locked as well.

"Wha...what just happened?" I asked in bewilderment. Nurse Joy didn't answer. Instead she ran towards the glass door and peered into the main lobby. I followed suit, pressing my hands against the glass to get a better look at the crisis. I clenched my teeth when I saw what was transpiring. When my eyes met the scene, I kept an extra protective hand on Tony's pokeball.

There was a woman standing at the front desk. A small electronic laptop was in her right hand and her left was typing away. But that's not the end of it. The laptop was connected via USB cable to the desk's system. At least we knew what had shut all the doors. But what really and truly mattered, was what she was wearing. I sneered at her. She was the one thing I hoped I wouldn't be seeing on this journey.

White's mother hadn't informed me much of what Team Plasma looked like, but she did show me one thing. The shield logo. The crest with a combination of the letters P and Z plastered together. The same logo that was stitched onto the chest of this woman's uniform. Of course, the uniform itself was enough to draw suspicion. It looked like it was based on a Knight. Her hood covered a great deal of what appeared to be a flurry of curly brown hair. I couldn't see her eyes under that light blue hood, but it was obvious she was bad news from that villainous smirk on her face. Light blue gloves, boots and sleeves were just what the eye was drawn away from. The crest of Team Plasma was patched right onto a beige poncho-like outfit that topped off the whole "uniform" motif.

"Team Plasma." I said simply. I wasn't sure whether I should have been nervous, intimidated, scared or just plain furious. I hadn't yet encountered Team Plasma, so I didn't know just how bad they were. But this pretty much put all suspicion to rest. If someone was locking us in, as well as every other room that night, then something was obviously screwy here.

"Team Plasma?" Nurse Joy asked with a confused look towards me.

"Yeah. I don't know much about them, but they say they want to free all pokemon from the quote, un-quote 'ignorant humans who claim to own them'."

"Oh my! Then that woman must be here-"

"-for the pokemon at the center!"

"No! They can't! Most of those pokemon are incredibly ill! Some could die without proper medical care!"

"Are you serious?" I exclaimed. I didn't know she had pokemon with problems that serious. If that were the case, then those pokemon could be in dire peril. I had to think of something. I'd adored pokemon all my life and I wouldn't let this chick steal some sick ones just because she was deluded.

"Yes. But she has control of the center. Nobody can get out of their rooms. And we can't open this door." Nurse Joy had been attacking the keyboard next to door with her fingers since I had told her about Team Plasma. But she appeared to be getting nowhere. "I think she's changed the code."

"Hey you! Let us out of here!"" I yelled at the Plasma woman, banging my fists against the door as hard as I could.

"It's no good." Nurse Joy said, shaking her head. The woman on the opposite side of the glass smirked at her computer screen. Then without noticing me, she put it down an walked away, into the center's inner chambers where I knew all the more intensive care patients were kept. "This door is soundproofed."

I was growling in absolute frustration. Not only was the peon about to get away with it, but she wouldn't even be able to hear my angry and empty threats. Now, that was the infuriating part. Man. We were stuck, an the only way out were a couple air vents on the ceiling which only a bug could fit through.

_Wait...a bug..._It hit me. What we needed to get out of there.

"Boy, am I lucky I met you. Joel, we need you now!" I tossed Joel's pokeball toward the vent. And when it opened, the white energy that would soon form into Joel materialized on the other side of the grate. My face fell when I saw his legs dangling from the openings in the grate. Great, because this was the perfect time to take a nap.

"JOEL!" I shouted in a voice that I'm pretty sure would intimidate even Snivy. Joel snapped himself awake and started scuttling around when he found himself where he was. "Joel! It's okay! Just get focused!"

"_Sorry, sorry! So sorry!" _Joel explicitly apologized. This wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't doing it so much that I couldn't even get a word in. I rolled my eyes. My pokemon are weird. _"Please forgive me! Sorry, I just-"_

"Joel! It's fine! We just need you to get on the other side of this door!" Joel cut his babbling. Apologized once more and used Spiderweb to get himself higher up in the vent. For a moment, Nurse Joy and I sat in silence. You'd need a pair of hedge clippers to cut the tension. I gulped. A second later, I thought Joel wouldn't be able to find his way.

"_Um...I can't seem to find my way!" _That figured.

"Joel! Use Electro Ball! And use it to light the way!" Moments later, there was an immense flash of light from the air vents. I had to close my eyes. Man that was bright. Joel had some serious strength. And when I could blink my peepers open once again, I laid eyes on Joel, who was now on the other side of the glass. He blinked at me with confusion. It appeared he was unsure of what to do next.

"Joel! The laptop! Over on the desk!" I was really stupid. Nurse Joy had just told me that the door was soundproof. But here I was, shouting and pointing at the front desk as if the little insect could hear me. Lucky for me, I was making such a big deal out of pointing out the front desk, because Joel, after a few minutes of miscommunication, traversed over to the desk. He used Spiderweb and crawled his way to the top. It was a scramble when Joel did reach his destination though. I kept trying to say "Laptop! Zap the laptop! No that's the phone! And that's Nurse Joy's left glove! No! Joel! That's not even-"

It went on like that for a while. Let's just make a long story short and say I got fed up and went into sort of a fit. Fortunately for us, I made a slashing motion with my hands and with that, Joel immediately slashed the USB cable connecting the laptop to the center's computer. And just like that, the lights went crazy, zapping on and off at random intervals. For a second I thought the whole place was going to blow. But when I heard every lock in the place click open and the door before us opened up, I leaped in joy. I ran towards Joel, who jumped, landing in my outstretched hands.

"Way to go!" I praised him, causing him to click his incisors together. He did that whenever he was overjoyed.

"Ah crap! How in the hell-?" I turned when I heard a sharp female voice from behind me. There she was. The Team Plasma woman. But this time, she was lugging a sack over her shoulder, which I could only guess was filled with pokeballs. She eyed her laptop, but she clenched her teeth all the same. I was sneering at her, making sure she knew she wouldn't have a shot at snatching it up on my watch. So, she instead decided to cut her losses. With a surprising amount of agility, she jumped right onto the front desk and soared right past me. She was making a break for the front door, and I couldn't stop her.

"Not so fast!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. And believe it or not, she brought out a pokeball. And before I knew it, she had tossed it right at the Plasma woman, knocking her right in the face before it opened. And what came out was probably the sweetest-looking pokemon I'd ever seen. She was big, she was pink and she had these frilly ears. I flipped my pokedex out as fast as I could and hit scan.

"_**Audino, the Hearing Pokémon. Audino can assess a Pokémon's overall physical condition and mood using its ears."**_

"A healing pokemon?" I didn't understand. I couldn't fathom why Nurse Joy would send out a healing pokemon to deal with a thief. Nurse Joy saw my confused expression and began to do one of the strangest things I'd ever seen a person do. Keep in mind, I've met N.

"I'm not just a nurse, or a psychiatrist!" Nurse Joy took off her cap and replaced it with...a headband. She then twirled and did her little pose. "But I'm also an adaptable trainer of pokemon! PREPARE TO EAT DIRT! NO ONE MESSES WITH MY CENTER!"

The Plasma woman was aghast. She hardly knew what was happening. And I was riding in the same boat. This was...the most flamboyant nurse I'd ever met. But I gotta admit, I'm glad she was on my side.

But the Plasma woman was a faster thinker than I thought. Though disappointed, she had no choice but to give up the pokemon. She launched the sack over her shoulder, slamming Audino in the face and knocking her down. She vacated the premises as fast as she could, running off into the moonlit night.

"Hey! Get back here!" I ran after her. Granted, my mission involved staying away from these people. But I wouldn't let someone who tried to steal sick pokemon get away. She was going to pay for what she tried to do. Joel shivered from the cold of the outdoors and leapt under my hat. Oh well, I was in for the long haul anyway. She wouldn't get away.

"Take the hint already!" The woman screamed back at me, speeding up her pace. "Who the hell are you? You got those pokeballs, so stop chasing me already!"

"Not quite!" I retorted as the woman and I approached a river, forcing us both to trudge through it at a slower pace. "You guys won't get away with taking pokemon! And I'll be the one to stop 'ya!"

_Black: __I can do it, I can run, I can hunt you down,  
>you can try but you can't stop me cause I'm gaining ground.<br>I'm light on my feet, and I'm quick to the punch, I had a heavy breakfast, but a real light lunch,  
>I'm a raging bonfire, a cherry bomb, I'm me!<em>

_(The Plasma grunt leaps down a ledge, entering the forest with Black hot on her tail.)__  
><em>

_I'm rough and tumble, I'm the one to beat, I'm a fresh coat of black top burning up your feet  
>I got a poisonous sting, when I rain, I pour, I'm the best of the best, I'm the soup de jour<br>I'm smooth as glass, and I'm sharp as a tack, I'm me!  
>I'm the last and best stick of gum in the pack, I'm me!<br>I'm a strong man, fast talking big, bad dog walking, highfalutin', drum beatin', foot stoppin', corn popping, speeding locamotive that just won't stop, I'm a hot apple pie with a cherry on top!_

_(Fog rolls in, obstructing Black's vision as he continues the chase.)_

_I'm a crowd pleasing, head spinning, winning in the ninth inning, whip-lashing, record smashin', black-tie party crashing, cyclone of fun, I'm an army of one, I'm strawberry sprinkles on a hot crossed bun!  
>I'm a big haymaker in a title fight, I'm a cute black kitten with a nasty bite, I'm an action double feature on Friday niiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.<br>I'm me! _

_I'm me! _

_I'm meeeee! _

_I'm me! _

_(Black leaps for the Plasma grunt, landing on top of her and knocking her down and letting her hood fall.)_

_I'm me!_

"Hey wait..." I said in disbelief when the Plasma woman's hood fell, revealing her face to me. "You're...you're just a kid like me!"

"Get off!" The young girl, who could only be twelve at the most screeched, shoving my surprised self off of her. She took her hood back up and hid her hazel eyes from view again. I was still widening my eyes in amazement, but only for a second before I got my focus back.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing with a rotten group like Team Plasma, huh?"

"None of your business! Sandile! I choose you!" The girl popped out a pokeball faster than I ever could and tossed it. The pokeball's white light lit up the night. And the thing that came out was barely visible through all the fog. So I took out my pokedex, and took a scan of faith.

"_**Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon. A dark membrane protects its eyes from the sun, and it buries itself in the sand with its eyes and nose sticking out."**_

"A ground and dark type, huh? Well, I'm sure Tony and I can-" Darn it, why am I so stupid? The whole point of my journey was that so Team Plasma didn't know where Tony was. Besides, Sandile was a dark and ground type. Not a good match against Tony, a psychic and fire type. "Uh, forget I said that. I'll go with Sni-" Yeah, that wouldn't work either. I kept forgetting that she hated me. Which meant that the only pokemon I could use against this ground type was...

"Joel! I choose you!" I lifted up my hat, revealing the shivering form of Joel. Joel blinked his eyes open, realizing he was in for a battle. His eyes were pretty quivery when he saw just what he'd be facing. But with only a little hesitation (and some wobbly legs) he leaped off my head and faced off against that desert pokemon. The girl smiled. And I began to sweat.

"Joel! Shoot out an Electroweb!" Joel only took only a second to prepare. He shot the sparking thread between his incisors, hitting Sandile directly in the snout. "Yeah! We got him!"

"Idiot." The girl replied with a smugness that knew no bounds. "Ground types are unaffected by electric attacks! Use Sand Tomb!"

The Sandile clawed the ground, and in an amazing show of power, a flurry of sand was sent flying towards Joel. I clenched my teeth. That sand was getting more solid the further it soared, and I knew Joel would be completely smothered if that made its mark. Wait, more solid? Sweet.

"Joel! Spit a Spiderweb at that attack, then ride the sand!" Joel did so. He blasted a Spiderweb right at the now slimy mass of sand. Once it made contact, it stayed on the surface of that wave. And with his incredible dexterity, Joel hopped right on his own attack, surfing on the very sand itself. "Alright, now get in close!"

"Oh, you'll get in close alright! Sandile! Use Bite!" Sandile took no time in snapping his jaws into the Sand Tomb attack. And before I could even say 'no' Joel...was chomped down. I'm serious, the Sandile...ate him.

_Wait...he's...in his mouth. _I thought to myself before calling the order to save my spider's life. "Joel use Spiderweb!" Sandile made a face as soon as I made the command. And then he appeared to be struggling. And I realized he was trying to open his mouth, but couldn't. Spiderweb must have stuck his upper and lower jaws together.

"What? What is this?"

"Why it's our victory of course! Joel! Use Bug Bite on Sandile's tongue!" Sandile widened his eyes as I said that, as did the Plasma girl. Sandile was part dark type, so naturally, a bug type move would...well, why don't I tell you?

"_MRRRPH!" _Sandile tried to scream out in pain. Sandile was freaking out. Rolling, cringing, scrambling, doing anything to show the pain he was going through. It was almost comedic. Or, at least it was until he fainted.

"NO! Sandile!" The Plasma girl sounded genuinely concerned when her pokemon was defeated. She'd been done in by her own moves, but that didn't even seem to phase her. Her Sandile was her number one priority. She grabbed her pokeball and returned Sandile as fast as she could. Leaving one very confused Joel blinking at me as Sandile disappeared around him in the traditional red energy. The girl may have had her eyes hidden, but I could tell she was glaring at me with a vengeance. "Listen here! You've seen my face! That's something no one gets to see! I lost to you today! But I'll hunt you down and free all your pokemon! Get it?"

"No I don't! Because you Team Plasma thugs make absolutely no sense!"

"What's so confusing about wanting to liberate pokemon?"

"Well, if you wanted to free pokemon, you should start with yours! Don't expect everyone else to buy into your little game!"

"Hmph! What's your name?"

"Yours first!"

"As if. You've seen my face, that's enough."

"Oh please. Get over yourself, lady! I don't care about your face, I just want to know who'd want to rob a pokemon center! Those pokemon were sick y'know! Geez, did you even go to school. Think a little."

"I'm not dumb! Listen here! Pokemon need to be free from evil people! I swore it on my very name! That I'd free every last pokemon there is! My king, the king of Team Plasma, shall realize this dream! Get ready. Because I, Alicia, will be right by his side."

'Alicia' dashed into the fog, and this time, the fog was too thick for me to follow. I stamped my foot on the ground in frustration. Joel jumped onto my leg once I was done and crawled on top of my head.

"_Please don't listen to her."_

"Huh?"

"_I know I'm free. I...I came with you because I wanted to. Not because you forced me. I...I like you Black."_

"Wow..." I was actually tearing up. Yes, I know I'm a big dope, just let me have my moment. I was sure. I was always sure that Team Plasma were a bunch of idiots who didn't even know what they were talking about. Now it was a simple matter of stopping them. Easy, right? I sighed. I got the feeling that it would be twice as hard as I suspected. But I was completely incorrect.

It was gonna be ten times harder.

"Finally!" I groaned as I looked upon the many buildings of Striaton City in the distance. I was almost there. Tony's ears perked up. In that town, was my first gym battle. It was my first opportunity. And my first shot to test my metal. I grinned. It was finally time.

**End of Chapter Five. **

**Alright, there you are! Team Plasma's first appearance and a new problem for Black. Let's see where this dice rolls, shall we?**

**PS – Want to know what's in Black's egg? I've set up a poll on my profile. Vote now and you could have one of your favourites traveling with Black and the gang! Unless I didn't make one of your favourites a choice...I should really rethink this.**

**Keep sending in OC's please! I'll announce who I'm using in Chapter Seven (Not the next one).**


	6. Catching Up

**Review Responses: Aeroga – I know dude, me too.**

**Chapter 6: Catching Up**

In the pokemon center of Striaton City, there's a lounge where trainers always socialize. They brag about their captures, lie about winning a few battles, and generally try to make themselves look good. Striaton City is the usual spot for the newest trainers. As such, there are those ignorant enough to brag about skills they don't have. Don't blame them. They're only human after all.

"And that's how I got my gym badge." A newbie trainer with a Patrat by his side said to the other boy sitting across from him at their table. "Yeah. Cress was totally crying. I'd show you the badge, but I don't want to risk it rusting."

"Yeah right. I heard about that match. Cress beat you in two moves flat."

"You must be thinking of someone else." The boy denied with the most obvious of lies as he gave his Patrat a loaf of bread from his backpack. "I won, hands down."

"Here's a strategy to help me believe you. Show me the badge."

"Here's another. Shut up you miserable little-"

The trainer was interrupted by his Patrat's shrieking. He sat bolt upright at the sudden noise, turning to see his Patrat blinking at his paws as if they were the most perplexing things in the world. And then his trainer realized just why this was so. The loaf of bread he'd just given him had disappeared. The Patrat began to growl in anger as he turned his head left and right, but didn't find what he was looking for until he looked around his trainer's seat.

There was an Oshawott there. One that had bread crumbs all over his face, not to mention the fact that he was rubbing his tummy in satisfaction. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had stolen the Patrat's lunch. The Patrat didn't wait for an authorization from his trainer. He pounced at the otter pokemon, hoping to get vengeance for his fallen meal.

But he didn't count on the Oshawott's agility. The water pokemon was too quick, jumping atop Patrat's head and leaping into the air. Patrat collapsed to the floor as Oshawott dashed away.

"Stop that Oshawott!" The two boys heard several voices scream from behind them. They cringed when they saw seven trainers and their pokemon all angrily shouting to nab the Oshawott. "That thing stole my hamburger!"

"It stole my cake!"

"It took my pretzel!"

"It snatched my pants...speaking of which, I should probably put on another pair."

The two boys leapt from their seats and ran after the Oshawott who was snickering away as he dashed for the main entrance of the pokemon center. He was almost home free. If he could just bust through those doors-

Too late for that thought. The Oshawott had to make a quick ninety-degree turn to avoid the two trainers who had thrown pokeballs at the door, letting them open up and release their Herdier and Purrloin to block the exit.

"_Clever boys." _The Oshawott said to himself as he dashed through the pokemon center with an ever-confident smirk on his face.

_Oshawott: __Gotta keep  
>One jump ahead of the bread line.<br>One swing ahead of the sword.  
>I steal only what I can't afford.<br>That's everything!_

_(Oshawott dashes up a staircase backwards, carefully jumping over all enemy fire.)_

_One jump ahead of the trainers!_  
><em>That's all, and that's no joke.<em>  
><em>These guys don't appreciate I'm broke!<em>

_Crowd:__ Riffraff! Street rat! Scoundrel! Take that!_

_(A Herdier uses Take Down, Oshawott dodges, causing Herdier to hit his head. Oshawott is cornered near a door.)_

_Oshawott:__ Just a little snack, guys!  
><em>

_Crowd:__ Rip him open, take it back, guys!_

_(Oshawott dives through the door, running through the hallways as he's chased. He tosses his scalchop at a lighting fixture, causing it to fall and stall his pursuers.)__  
><em>

_Oshawott:__ I can take a hint, gotta face the facts  
>This scalchop's my only friend!<br>_

_Crowd:__Who?_

_Oshawott:__ Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat!  
>Tell you all about it when I got the time!<em>

_One jump ahead of the slowpokes,_  
><em>One skip ahead of my doom,<em>  
><em>Next time gonna use a nom de plume.<em>  
><em>One jump ahead of the hitmen.<em>  
><em>One hit ahead of the flock,<em>  
><em>I think I'll take a stroll around the block.<em>

_Crowd:__ Stop, thief! Vandal! Outrage! Scoundrel!_

_(Oshawott is backed up against another door, this one's locked.)_

_Oshawott:__ Let's not be too hasty._

_(An Audino opens the door, snatching up Oshawott and nuzzling him.)__  
><em>

_Audino:__ Still I think he's rather tasty!_

_(Oshawott squirms out of her grip and continues the chase.)__  
><em>

_Oshawott:__ Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat,  
>Otherwise we'd get along!<br>_

_Crowd:__ Wrong!_

_(Oshawott emerges onto the rooftop of the center, looking over the edge.)_

_Oshawott:__ One jump ahead of the hoofbeats!  
>One hop ahead of the hump!<em>

_(The trainers find him and get ready to corner him.)_

_One trick ahead of disaster!  
>They're quick, but I'm much faster!<em>

_(Oshawott spots a boy with a baseball cap walking out of the center, close enough to jump on.)_

_Here goes, better throw my hand in  
>Wish me happy landin'<br>All I gotta do is juuuuump! _

"Gyah!" I exclaimed as a sudden weight was added to the front of my hat, shunting it over my eyes. I lifted my cap back up and nearly jumped out of my socks. There was an Oshawott in front of my face, staring back at me with embarrassed eyes. He had an awkward smile that just said: "Sorry...but could you put me down?" I grabbed the Oshawott and glared at him in my outstretched hands.

"Where'd you come from?" I asked with a face that didn't quite do my surprise justice.

"Osha, osha, oshawott." Dang. I was hoping to get lucky and be able to talk to this pokemon too. The Oshawott was still giving me that awkward smile which I had no answer for. Having super powers isn't really that great if they don't work consistently.

"HEY! THAT MUST BE ITS TRAINER!" Uh oh. People yelling never bodes well. I looked upwards with a grimace, only to swallow hard. There were at least seven furious faces staring daggers at me from above. And they were all after one thing. "LET'S GET THAT THIEF!"

"Thief?" My eyes darted between the roof and the Oshawott in my hands rapidly. I gulped as smooth realization came across my face in the form of crumbs spread all over the Oshawott's face. "Oh crap."

"Osha-ha-ha." The Oshawott nodded.

"HEY WAIT GUYS! HE'S NOT WITH ME!" I shouted. But too late. They had already turned for the staircase and were headed my way. There was no time to think. I panicked. And as such, I tossed the Oshawott over my shoulder and ran as fast as I could down the street, making a concerted effort to smack into as few people as possible.

"There he is! AFTER HIM!" Wait. Why were they after me? I already got rid of the Osha-

"Osha!" Or at least I thought I did. I twisted my head as far as it would go to see the otter pokemon hanging on to me by the scruff of my jacket.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? LET GO! DON'T DRAG ME INTO THIS!"

"Oshawott. Osha, osha _than me."_

"Say what?"

"_I said you run faster _Osha _me." _Okay, this was just plain ludicrous. Sometimes I understood pokemon, sometimes I didn't, but now I was getting a little bit of both. I wanted to know what the hell was happening. It was hard to talk to these things and not look like my sanity decided to take a vacation to Hoenn. _"Go faster, or _Osha _catch _wott!"

"GRRRRAAAA!" I screamed to the heavens in frustration. I was stuck between a stubborn Oshawott and a crowd that wanted to kill me. Just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The world hates me.

"Get back here!"

"You owe me a piece of cake!"

"And a pretzel!"

"I got another pair of pants!"

"What exactly did you do?" I asked as I once again grabbed the Oshawott. Hey, if he was sticking around I might as well stop him from flying off my jacket.

"_Hey, gotta _Oshawott _live, am I _wott?" I rolled my eyes. This was getting nowhere.

"How much food did you steal?"

"_Look that doesn't _Oshawott. _Now we're in this together. So get _Oshawott!"

"Oh I'll get you alright!" I turned a corner, praying for a way out of this. And before I'd even finished, I was given one. Or rather, the way out yanked me aside by my collar, bringing me right into a dark alley.

"Shhh. They're coming." I heard someone in front of me say. I didn't argue as the crowd passed us by, completely oblivious to the fact that I had shied away from them. Soon the outbursts of the crowd died away, and Oshawott and I were able to breath a sigh of relief. Though I more groaned in anger.

"Thanks man." I said to my rescuer.

"It was my pleasure. Come on." We walked back onto the sidewalk, people passing by as Oshawott and I finally saw the face of our savior. He was a tall, skinny teen, possibly the same age as Axel, maybe a little younger. But he was certainly odder than Axel. For one thing, he wore a waiter's uniform. In public. Strange, but near as strange as what I've been through the past few days. But back to the waiter guy. He was holding a paper bag filled with groceries, clearly heavy enough to require both hands, so it was a mystery how he'd grabbed my jacket. He had short green hair with a bit of a quiff at the front. His eyes matched his hair, making him a full package of odd. "That was certainly close. What was that all about anyway."

"This guy!" I said, pointing to the Oshawott who had moved to my shoulder. "He stole some food and hitched a ride on me!"

"Oh? What's this? Are you saying that that's a wild Oshawott? Not your own?"

"AS IF!"

"Really because-sorry. Hang on a minute." The green-haired waiter placed his groceries down for a minute. And then he did...the most...feminine...thing...I have ever seen a male person do. He spun around in a pirouette and like Nurse Joys before him, posed with an opera stance. And then he said...how do I say this? Just read.

"**It's taaaaaaasting tiiiiiime!"**

"Habudawha-?" I spluttered after he said what I hoped to God wasn't his catch phrase. Oshawott, on the other hand was quite entertained and was applauding to this man's performance. The guy bowed respectfully, picking his groceries on the way up.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cilan, and I'm a pokemon connoisseur."

"A pokemon...connoisseur?" I never heard of those. Weren't connoisseurs art or food critics or something?

"Ah. I see you don't know what we connoisseurs do. Pokemon connoisseurs are licensed professionals who can test compatibility between trainers and their pokemon."

"Really? That sounds like an awesome job!"

"Oh you're mistaken. Being a connoisseur is my hobby. But I can see from here, that a combination of friendship and trust is already being mixed between you and that Oshawott! And when it matures, it will be the most delicious dish I've ever tasted!"

"Now you're mistaken." I said as I plopped the Oshawott onto the ground. He blinked in confusion and looked back up at me. "He's brought me nothing but trouble."

Speaking of trouble, right then, at the least convenient of moments, the luxury ball on my belt burst open, and Tony soared right onto my shoulder. Great. He was leaving his ball on his own again.

"_Hey bro, I'm...oh hi." _Tony forgot his stomach for a minute to say hello to the new face, waving at Cilan with that cute way he did everything.

"Well hi there little fella'." Cilan said as he patted Tony's head, making him close his eyes and grin with satisfaction. "And who are you?"

"_I'm Tony. And this is my human, Bro."_

I rolled my eyes once again. He really didn't get it. I was about to speak up and return the introduction to Cilan, but Oshawott would have none of it.

"_Aw! You _Osha _human? I _Osha _wanted one!" _I groaned. Great, it was a whole crazy choir.

"_Oh, it's great. These guys feed you and give you a warm place to sleep. Bro's the best human ever!"_

"Oshawott? _Can he be my _Osha _too?"_

"NO! NO! NO! YOU LEAVE! NOW!" I had had it up to there with that Oshawott. Normally I'd try to catch him, but considering he almost got me mauled by his victims, I was willing to let this one slide. I just predicted so many things going sour with him around. Initially, the Oshawott gave me a confused look. But then he gave a sneaky little grin, shrugged with a sly look and walked off into the darkness of the alley with a spring in his step. I gulped. I had a bad feeling about that. "Sorry. My name's Black, and this is Tony. He's a Victini."

"Ah! I've heard of Victini! But I never thought I'd actually see one! And now." Oh no. He was getting that look on his face. And I couldn't cover my ears in time to stop-

"**It's taaaaaaasting tiiiiime!"  
><strong>

"Your Victini and you, let's see." Cilan stared at me and Tony, eyes going from me to him in a constant pattern. Until he snapped his fingers and twirled around once again. "The combination of you two together creates a fantastic aroma. One spicy, the other creamy. Sometimes the two things you'd never expect to go together go together into one fabulous blend!"

"Wait who's spicy and who's-?"

"Why, I would be honored to face such a team in a gym battle!"

"Well that's great and all but you see I was just on my way to the...wait...WHAT?" No way. He couldn't be. He was far too flamboyant.

"Oh, how rude of me. I said that being a pokemon connoisseur was my hobby. But my job is as the gym leader of the Striaton City gym!"

"You're kidding! Cool! In that case!" I pointed at Cilan and got my game face on. "I challenge you to a battle!"

"Ha ha! That's great! But...for now...I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Huh...? Say what...?"

"I'm sorry, but I've already had a gym battle today. And I'm afraid my partner and I need some time to rest and recuperate. Besides." Cilan pointed to the top of a brick building. I took a look and my face fell when I saw the sun setting over the horizon. "The gym will be closing sometime soon."

"Aw man." I finally got to Striaton City, location of the first gym. But I had to wait yet another night for the actual gym battle. Cilan saw my disappointment and patted me on the shoulder.

"Come on. I know an amazing restaurant. Dinner's on me."

This Cilan was a nice guy. I was pretty hungry. And Tony...well, he was always ready for food. So the connoisseur guided us through the city (though after about two minutes of complaints of no food from Tony, I returned him to his pokeball), pointing out interesting landmarks along the way. Striaton sure was an interesting city. Even the city fountain had a history dating back to Unova's creation. Granted, I didn't believe a lick of it, but it was refreshing to hear about the background of a town. I was always into mythology and history and stuff like that. Of course, all that interest disappeared when we reached the restaurant. Where I nearly smacked Cilan in frustration and confusion.

"Uh...this is a restaurant?" I asked as I looked between three pairs of pillars at the Striaton City gym.

"Well, usually it's a restaurant. It's the gym as well. But only when there are challengers. Come on, like I said, it's on the house."

"Sweet." I said as I rubbed my hands together while Cilan opened the door and let us in. Since this was a gym and a restaurant I was ready for the whole place to be flooded with people. I was waiting for a whole entourage of people wanting to enjoy the gourmet food that was surely at this gym. But to my surprise, the place was empty. Every table was vacant, with plates full of cold food all over them. Chairs were left astrewn all around, like everybody decided to just get up and leave in the middle of dinner. The only ones remaining were the waiters and waitresses, eagerly waiting for more customers. "Uh...nice place."

"Oh wow. That must be one tough challenger if Cress is taking this long."

"Who? What? Challenger?"

"Oh. Did I forget to explain again? Sorry, but you see, this gym actually has three gym leaders."

"Three?"

"That's right. And a gym battle is an occasion where nearly everyone in the place drops whatever they're eating to watch my brothers and I battle. We've told them they're allowed to bring food into the stadium, but they never seem to listen."

"I guess eating would distract from the battle. Huh?" I chuckled.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Would you like to see the battle?"

"Absolutely!" Cilan nodded to me as I replied and guided me to a pair of double doors on the right wall of the restaurant. On the other side, we came upon the battle arena. And boy was it a sight to behold. Two podiums for the trainer. One on either side of the immense rocky battlefield. When I say rocky, I mean it. This swimming pool-sized arena was full of rocks that jutted out of the floor, making it more of a quarry than a battlefield. A balcony was constructed just above our heads, from which I could hear squealing fangirls. All cheering for some guy named Cress. I had to assume that was the gym leader in the same uniform as Cilan with blue flowing hair. Because I recognized the challenger. There was no way I could mistake those glasses, spindly legs and oddly short black.

"Hey it's Cheren!" That's right. I had actually caught up. There was the nerd of the trio. And he was right in the heat of battle. I finally saw just what pokemon Cheren had chosen on the day he set out. And I nearly had a heart attack before I realized it wasn't the same one.

"Snivy! Use Vine Whip on that Panpour!" Yep. Cheren had chosen Snivy. And I cringed just from looking at the snake. Flashbacks really can be genuine if you think about it. I was still smarting from the beating I took back at the other pokemon center.

And opposite Snivy must have been Cress' choice. A half-blue, half-cream coloured monkey with a feature on its head that looked like a water spout. I took out my pokedex in a flash, and scanned it.

"_**Panpour, the Spray Pokémon. Panpour lived in forests long ago, but developed a body that makes it easy to live near water. It can store water in the tufts on its head."**_

"Cool. A Panpour. Never seen one of those." I said to no one in particular as the battle waged. Panpour had managed to dodge Snivy's Vine Whip and was getting ready for another attack.

"Panpour use Dig!" Cress ordered in a very calm and suave manner. Panpour did so. And oddly enough, he was digging just as calmly and suavely as how Cress was talking. Weird huh?

"This battle's gone on for too long! Snivy! Drag Panpour out with-!"

"Too late! Panpour emerge and use Fury Swipes!" Panpour burst up from Snivy's feet, causing the grass snake pokemon to be thrown in the air, leaving it an open target.

"Looks like you fell for it. Snivy! Leaf Tornado!" Snivy got down to business fast, firing the Leaf Tornado directly downwards, right at Panpour. Panpour was blasted to the rocky terrain below, leaving no room for dodging. Snivy cut the attack and landed on his feet. No need to be on guard though. Panpour had fainted.

"Panpour is unable to battle!" A teen, like Cress and Cilan only with red hair that made it look like his head was aflame, declared as the battle finished. "That means the winner is Cheren and his Snivy!"

"Oh no! Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssss!" I heard the fangirls squeal from above. Geez, they were far more depressed than Cress even tried to look. He returned Panpour to his pokeball, not letting his smug smile falter even a little.

"Quite an enjoyable battle." Cress said with no emotion whatsoever. He held out the Trio Badge to Cheren in the center of the arena. And Cheren took it with just as much joy. These people need to learn to have fun once in a while.

"Thanks." Cheren said as he stuffed it in his pocket. That was it? No pose? No dramatic turn on his heel? He had no sense of theatrics.

"So what's the deal Cilan?" I asked the connoisseur. I would say hi to Cheren, but...honestly...would you? "Two gym leaders? What's that all about?"

"Two? No don't be silly. That would be ridiculous. We have three."

"Okay." I said back, resisting with all my might the urge to roll my eyes. I barely succeeded. "What's the deal with having three gym leaders?"

"Well, you see at the Striaton Gym, the customer's choice is all that matters. So we give them some variety. You can either face Cress, the calm and collected trainer of Panpour, Chili, the passionate trainer who fights with Pansear, or me. And my partner is Pansage."

"Pansear and Pansage, huh?" I still had my pokedex out so I looked up the two pokemon I'd just been told about. Two more monkeys. Almost the same except for the features on their heads and the fact that their eyes were open.

"_**Pansear, the High Temp Pokémon. Pansear lives in caves near volcanoes. The temperature on the tuft on its head can reach six hundred degrees when it's angry."**_

"_**Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokémon. Pansage offers leaves on its head to Pokémon that have low energy. The leaves relieve stress."**_

"Cool. You mean, the challenger decides which of you they face?"

"That's right. It's a gym that's suited to any challenger's taste. Making it the only gym of its kind."

"That's an awesome way to do it!" I would've praised Cilan's gym some more, but Cheren was just about to leave. Couldn't let that happen before telling him I'd actually caught up. I rushed over right away, to say hi. Of course, when I got in his way with a stupid grin, he stepped backwards, obviously creeped out by my sudden appearance. "Hey Cheren! Been a long time, huh?"

"Uh...I guess." Cheren replied with the exact same expression that's been on his face for the past ten years. "Who are you exactly."

"Oh...I'm Black, remember?" Cheren shook his head. "We went to the same school?" He shook his head. "I helped paint your house that one time?"

"Oh yes. Now I remember."

"Yeah." Silence. Absolute silence. No I remember why I didn't talk to Cheren much back home. He was arctic grade cold. "So...nice seeing you."

"You too." If that was meant to sound sincere...it didn't. I swear, Cheren just loved handing out cold shoulders. The boy who I will forever consider a nerd, walked past me, probably aiming to head off on the road already. Like I said earlier. He's way too serious for my tastes.

"Friend of yours?" Cilan asked.

"Not...in...the slightest." Note to self. Battle Cheren and defeat him later. "So, Cilan. Was that the last battle of the day?"

"I'm afraid so. But the restaurant is open late. You're free to stay for dinner."

"Yeah. I am feeling kinda famished. What are we waiting for? Let's-"

"Mister Cilan sir!" A waitress with curly brown hair was calling for Cilan. And she didn't look too happy. She was out of breath, and sweating up a storm. "Sir! Something has happened!"

"What is it?"

"Well...uh...uh...you're cooking utensils sir...they're...they're...gone."

"WHAAAAAAAAT?" Yikes. Was not expecting that. That was the highest Cilan's voice had ever gone. In both volume and pitch. Yeesh, not even my sister screamed that high when she saw a bug. Speaking of which, I shouldn't let her meet Joel. "Wait. Everything? Even spatula number-"

"-Fourteen? I'm afraid so."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Cilan screamed to the heavens. He had fallen to his knees in desperation. Clearly this was tragedy. For me? No. Not at all. But let's just say Cilan's puppy might as well have died. Cilan stood up, teeth clenched and with thunderous emotion, he charged ahead, screaming all the while. "NO THIEF SHALL ESCAPE ME!"

"Wait Cilan!" I shouted after him. No good. I didn't know what would stop that train wreck but it certainly wouldn't be words. Oh well. Guess I could just eat dinner here another time. That bit of news didn't stop Chili though. He was right on Cilan's tail, forcing me to dive out of the way before he ran me over. Geez. He was running so fast, he knocked off my hat without even noticing. That's a fine how-do-you-do. I picked it up and brushed it off, reminding myself to catch the guy who'd cheated me out of a free dinner. And that food smelled darn good too. I mean, who in their right mind would take food utensils of all things?

And then I saw him. The first pokemon that I actually disliked. Yeah, Snivy was better than this guy. There was an Oshawott standing at the doorway when I emerged back in the restaurant portion of the gym. A sack slung over his shoulder, with spoons and forks falling out a hole in the back. Well let's see. I was just flabbergasted as to who could've taken the stuff. Sarcasm is an awesome mistress.

"HEY YOU!" The Oshawott turned to me, blinked, smirked and burst through the door. I clenched my teeth and growled. No one stole my dinner. I opened those doors as fast as I could and found myself at a loss. He was gone. Darn that thing was quick. I glanced in all directions, and in the corner of my eye I caught a sparkle. I dashed over to a bush, parting the shrubbery and spotted Oshawott's trail. There was a spatula in there. Labeled number fourteen. I grabbed that and stuffed it in my bag. Cilan would be wanting that back. Though I did wonder what an Oshawott needed knives and forks for.

The trail wasn't hard to find. Every few steps I'd see something sparkle. Come to think of it, some of these items weren't even from the gym. I found potions here. I even found an expensive pokeball. A heal ball. This was way too convenient. This Oshawott was definitely smarter than this, that much I could tell. It's like...I was being led on. But I just couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why. Pretty soon, I knew something was up. I was picking up rather large objects that couldn't fall out of that tiny little hole the sack had. In fact, I was so focused on this, I hardly noticed that I had wondered into a forest. Though the road ahead didn't look as green.

My eyes were as wide as could be. When I read about Striaton City in my guidebook, it hadn't mentioned this. This place was full of torn steel, and building parts, all lying around in a heap. There were walls left standing, but there were very little of them left. And one could easily access the "rooms" of the destroyed buildings without much difficulty. But this was some pretty massive destruction. I was stumped. If they had torn this place down on purpose, I don't think anything would be left standing. But I shook such thoughts out of my head. I had a job to do.

I strode into the slightly creepy structure to investigate. Made creepy by the fact that the sun was still setting and the shadows were awfully eerie. And it was starting to get cold. I was shivering so much I didn't look where I was stepping and as a result, I turned a corner way too fast. And then...

Wham! I smacked right into something. I fell backwards, landing on my posterior. Man, whatever I hit, it was tough. Must've been a wall or a barrel or-

"Oh geez! I'm so sorry! So sorry!" I heard the voice of Bianca speak from above me. I sighed. Was I really that weak? She was still standing after that collision. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." My dignity was in shreds, but whatever.

Bianca was the plucky girl from my hometown. She wore a large and poofy green hat which sat atop her equally poofy blond hair. Her rather simple outfit consisting of a plain dress with an orange blouse was too bright for me not to see in the shadows of the evening. She stood there with her usual silly grin as I got up and brushed myself off.

"Oh, hey Black! It's good to see you!" She greeted me as she grabbed both my hands and shook them rather roughly. Wow, this girl was stronger than she realized.

"'Eh? You know my name?" I know that sounds weird, but after getting the same attitude from Professor Juniper and Cheren alike, it was a surprise for anyone to know my name really.

"Yeah! Of course! You let me borrow your pencil in the third grade! How could I ever forget that gesture?"

"Uhhh...what?"

"SEE! You remember." I really didn't. And before I knew it, I was being dragged by my wrist deeper into this scrapyard. "And you've come to help me again! You're so sweet!"

"What...why...how...?" I was utterly confused. This was like trying to figure out how they got caramel in the caramilk bars. "What am I helping you with exactly?"

"Oh, that's right. You weren't here! White and me were just-"

"WHITE'S HERE?" I suddenly screamed. I shut my mouth. Why did I yell just then? Even I didn't know. I didn't understand why my face was hot either. The good thing was, Bianca wouldn't see me in such light.

"Oh, no, she left. After fighting off some of those Team Plasma members."

"Team Plasma was HERE?" Suddenly I felt the need to hide. Something tells me that they all weren't as inexperienced of Alicia.

"Nope. White was really strong. She's gotten so much better since we left. She fought them off. Really easily too."

"You don't...say." I got worried. Joel almost had to get eaten for me to beat the one. And she was a kid.

"Yeah! It was amazing! Anyway, Team Plasma was after a Munna. And now that I've seen one, I've just gotta catch it!"

"Now that's a coincidence. I'm looking for a certain pokemon too."

"Really? Are you trying to catch Munna too?"

"Actually, I'm lookin' for an Oshawott. Seen one-"

"AH! OH MY GOSH! THERE IT IS!" Bianca screeched, making my soul leap a few feet in the air. This was one sporadic girl. She was all over the place. Well on the bright side...she wasn't Cheren.

Bianca rushed over to a wall that was half-eaten by destruction. She couldn't be more overjoyed. I rubbed the back of my head. This sure was awkward. For me at least. I don't think that word existed in Bianca's vocabulary. She climbed over the wall, apparently finding the pokemon she was looking for. I went after her post haste. Hey, since she was lucky enough to find her pokemon, maybe she could find mine too.

But what I didn't expect to find were both our pokemon. As well as what they were doing. It certainly wasn't what I thought Oshawott would be doing. Ever. Especially after everything I'd seen him do today. He was standing in front of a cowering Munna, scalchop blazing with the aquatic aura of a Razor Shell attack. But he wasn't facing Munna. Oh no, Munna was trembling behind him as he faced off against another pokemon. An odd, mostly orange pokemon with odd semi-circle teeth and a glare that didn't seem to give out. And oddly enough, it looked like it had bright yellow pants on. Pants that he had to keep both hands on to keep from falling to his feet. But one thing was for sure. This pokemon wasn't alone. There was another human on the scene as well.

And I don't think I've met a more terrifying person in my life.

**End of Chapter six.**

**So whaddya think? You know how much I love them reviews!**

**Couple things to cover before the next chapter. First thing's first. The polls are down for some reason. I don't know if it's just my problem, but I can't vote on any polls. Not that I actually voted on mine that would just be egotisitical. So if you did want to vote on the poll, but couldn't, maybe you could send your vote through a review/PM? I don't know if anyone actually DID want to vote on the poll, but it can't hurt to ask, right?**

**Poll Question: What's in Black's egg?**

**Cubchoo**

**Deino**

**Spheal**

**Bagon**

**Now that that's out of the way, here's something else. Keep sending in OC's please! But I'd best tell you this. This is your VERY LAST CHANCE to submit an OC. I've had a few Sues so far, so be wary. And I am having a LOT of trouble deciding who's OC may be a traveling companion. I didn't want someone too experienced (Hint hint) and most of the OC's seem to be REALLY experienced so I dunno how that's gonna go. I was also hoping to bring contests into the picture since I kinda like them, but that plan might have to be scrapped too. But the coordinators I have received as OC's are either Sues, have major experience, or the person who submitted them didn't follow the rules. But I was only considering contests, if that's not to the interest of the majority of readers, I'll get rid of that idea since I want this to be as reader-involved as possible. So tell me whether you like the idea or not please, since it would be of great help to me to know what thee readers of this story want out of it. Traveling companion could end up being any OC submitted (that ain't a sue with a REALLY unusual name) so keep those hopes up, you who sent the dreams and fears of your OC's in. It's totally in the air right now and it could be for quite a while. And several people have asked multiple times to be the traveling companion, and to be honest, it really wouldn't be fair to everyone else who also took the time to send in some really interesting dreams, fears and other things their characters bring to the table. Sorry, but that's just how it is. Like I said, last chance to submit an OC, if you haven't already. Next chapter (hopefully in one week's time), I announce who I'll be using. (Have I already inserted one? Who knows?)**

**Lastly. I may take OC's again after some time. Depends on what happens. First time writing a story with OC's from readers, so expect a lot of fumbling. But I'll find a middle ground soon enough, no worries. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but if I am, I'll bring it up next time. So, if you want, please send in a review/PM of what you think about the contests, poll, etc. It would be of amazing help.**

***Edit* - OC's are still being accepted. Do not listen to the ramblings above.  
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**See y'all later!**

**PS – Featured song is from Disney this time! I know! I hate me too!**


	7. Every Option Available

**Early update huh? Okay, change of plans. After reviewing and re-reviewing the OC's I have recieved, I realized something. Nearly all of them are submitted by people who distinctly didn't read the instructions. I know I sound like a total tight-ass, but I did repeat these things, multiple times. And no one seemed to read it. **

**First of all, NO MARY SUES! Seriously, nearly everyone is a sue in some way, be it their history or their very NAME. **

**Second. No one-sentenced personalities! That's a quality of their personality. Not a complete one!**

**Third. This last one is very vain of me. But it's still a requirement. If you don't give me a review, as in actual feedback for the story itself, then I won't look at yours.**

**Please keep sending in OC's. I'm not done yet. For those who suspect these problems apply to you, can you send me a PM so we can work out the kinks? I'm not just gonna leave you high and dry all right? I'm not that big of a jerk. And for you anony's, Citrine and harison86, no worries, you're all good.**

**So that's it. And since I have so few characters, I'm dropping the twelve OC limit. Don't know what I was thinking with that. I've just never written a submit your own character story before. And so, the OC's will just appear as they appear. The first is in this chapter. Please enjoy. **

**Chapter 7: Every Option Available**

"Who's that guy?" Bianca whispered her question, the steady and rather noisy breeze aiding in silencing her voice. I still heard her, but luckily the man before us didn't. I didn't answer though. I really didn't want to risk being heard. Even from the back this guy looked like a bad egg. What with the black leather jacket, black pants and dark boots, not to mention the black sling pack over his shoulder. The guy definitely had a 'dark' motif about him. And if I just went by height alone I could tell he was way older than me. Then again, the stubble on his face added to that assumption. Speaking of hair, the absolute mess of brown hair atop of his head had been attempted to be covered with a brown and blue baseball hat, but to little effect since it was way too long and curly for that.

I had a feeling I knew which pokemon he was using. But I couldn't be sure. So I took out some headphones that I was planning to use on my MP3 player before I realized the battery wasn't charged. But that didn't stop me from connecting them to the pokedex so I could get some info without being heard.

"_**Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon. The lower half of Scraggy's body is covered by a tough rubbery skin and when someone makes eye contact it responds with**_ _**Headbutt."**_

_So that's a Scraggy, huh? _I thought to myself as I wondered what the hell this guy was doing. Oshawott wasn't standing above Munna for no reason. If he was trying to catch that pokemon it wouldn't bother me. But that Oshawott looked pretty beat up. Anyone merciful would've hit him with a pokeball by now.

"Playing the hero? Cute." The man suddenly said out of the blue to the Oshawott who stood there, breathing heavily. "I love it when someone does that. I really do." He was speaking slowly and methodically, almost like someone exhibiting interest. But then he shattered all my expectations by breaking into a slightly maniacal snicker. "Because when I break those little arms, snap that little neck and leave you broken, I'll be able to see every last hope die out." The psychopath gave his lips a lick. "And it'll be ever so much fun."

Yeesh. This guy needed a girlfriend. Then again, what am I saying? What girl in her right mind would want to go out with that? But I was still confused. A nutcase, he was. But I was having a hard time seeing his motivation here. I couldn't fathom why he was attacking Oshawott. Or Munna for that matter. But despite the clear crazies that were running through this freak's thought process, Oshawott stood tall, obviously too tired to speak.

"What do you think s'goin' on Black?" Bianca really needed to learn when to stop talking. As well as how loud she should talk. Her first question might've been a gentle whisper, but this was way overkill. There was no way the possible serial killer didn't hear that. I grabbed her arm and ducked us both under cover behind the decaying concrete wall. For a moment there was silence. I was getting my hopes up. Maybe he was hard of hearing.

And then a hole was punched in the concrete directly above my head. I turned my head up with a grimace to find that the Scraggy had actually punched through the wall. Gulp.

"Come out before my aim gets better." I heard the psycho yell from behind me. I took a deep breath. Something told me, I didn't want to get involved in this. But I stood up anyway. Maybe I just wanted to help out Oshawott and Munna. Maybe I wanted to figure out what this maniac's damage was. Or maybe I just didn't want to get my head bashed in, who knows? I was now face to face with the madman. Great. Right where I wanted to be on the opposite of the earth from. From this angle I could even see his sunglasses. Which made me question how he could see anything in this darkness. And more worthy of my sarcasm, the skeleton of a fish pokemon was stitched into his baseball cap. Attractive.

"Let's see." The man said with a voice that rivaled Cheren's attitude in terms of chilliness. "Bright blue jacket, over-the-shoulder bag, running shoes aren't even dirty. Ha ha. You're a newbie, aren't you?"

"Yeah, isn't that great. So yeah, I'll just be-AIYEE!" I screeched as the Scraggy aimed another punch near my feet. I got out of the way just in time to avoid my foot getting broken.

"Yeah, I'm gonna stop you right there." The criminally insane man said just before giving another questionable snicker. "Tell me, little boy. Do you have a dream?"

"A...A dream?"

"Come on. Tell me noob. Tell me your frickin' dream so it'll be that much more satisfying when I crush it."

"Wha-?"

"Pokemon! Send it out!" Scraggy launched himself at me once again, this time, really using his head. Quite literally. He was trying to Headbutt me. I dived out of the way landing near the man's feet. And he in turn, tried to kick the ever-loving daylights out of me. I rolled out of the line of fire in time again.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"Most say that." Oh good. I was screwed. Just what I was looking to do on a Saturday night. Die. "Are you gonna send something out?" He continued as I managed to dodge another assault from Scraggy. "DO IT YOU-"

"Gah! Fine! Joel go!" I tossed Joel's pokeball, or rather I fumbled with it and it fell to the ground. It snapped open, and my insect friend came out...asleep again. "JOEL! NOW IS NOT THE TIME!"

"_Huh?" _Joel snapped awake. "_Oh no! I'm sorry! Sorry! So sorry, I-"_

"Joel! Look out!" Too late. Joel had already fallen victim to Scraggy's Low Kick and was soaring through the air, legs flailing around all over the place. And even worse, he was headed right for a wall. "Joel! Use Spiderweb on the wall to soften the blow!" Joel steadied himself, mid-air and shot Spiderweb quick as he could at the oncoming wall. The silky substance landed with a splat and it looked like Joel would be fine.

"Hi Jump Kick!" Uh oh. The psycho finally decided to give an order. And it might as well have been the killing order. In the blink of an eye, Scraggy sprung up towards Joel, somehow going at the same momentum. And while holding up his "pants" he placed his foot on Joel. And at that moment, it didn't matter if there was a Spiderweb on the wall or not. The moment Joel made contact with the wall, he was crushed underneath Scraggy's foot. Scraggy flipped back near the crazy man's feet, glaring at me the whole time. Joel's feet were naturally gripping the Spiderweb, but looking at the swirls in his eyes, it was clear he had fainted.

"Aw man, you're serious." Not a question. I swallowed hard as I heard another snicker. Nothing about him boded well.

"Break it."

"What?" No way. Scraggy was already dashing towards the fainted Joltik, and when he was close enough, he jumped high above Joel and descended again for another Hi Jump Kick. I couldn't even scream in terror. It was all happening so fast. At the rate he was going...Joel would be...splattered.

"Osh _this you _wott!" Oshawott leapt into the scene, Razor Shell ablaze. He slashed the unsuspecting Scraggy across the chest, knocking him off course and away from Joel. And when Oshawott hit the ground, he collapsed, fainting. I fumbled for Joel's pokeball and recalled him so fast I'm surprised the ball didn't break or something. He'd be needing a rest. First he was almost eaten and then almost squished. I might have to go back to that Nurse Joy to give him some therapy.

"Friggin' brat." The freakazoid grunted as the last of Joel was brought back into his ball.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM? WHO ARE YOU?"

"The name is Yuki. And for the next few hours, you're my-"

"Tepig! Use Flame Charge!" Suddenly, flames lit up the night. I looked behind me. Someone had replaced Oshawott as Munna's guardian. Specifically Bianca. And she had come out of hiding to help me. I'll give her this. She was a bit of an airhead, but she was brave. Her Tepig was making a b-line for Scraggy, running at top speed and completely cloaked in flames.

"Low Kick, Antoine." Tepig was completely caught off guard when this 'Antoine' of a Scraggy swept his foot in Tepig's path, making the swine collapse, landing on his face. "Hi Jump Kick!" Before Tepig could recover, Antoine the Scraggy got in the air again and used the same attack once again. The difference was, this time he slammed Tepig's head into the dirt, once again knocking his opponent out in one hit.

"Whoa." I said to myself. This guy was good. And he was terrifying. Seriously, he was really trying to kill our pokemon. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why not?"

"Well for one thing I could get you arrested on charges of assault, and-"

"Because I'm not like you. I don't strive to be stronger, or aim for greatness." Yuki took off his sunglasses and my soul nearly jumped out of my body. He had purple eyes. Genuine purple eyes. How evil was this freak? "I just looove it, when dreams die."

"HUH?"

"I don't expect a wannabe like you to understand. Suffering. It makes me feel...alive."

"Is that really necessary. What a cliche. Or is it a stereotype. Hang on, I need to think about this."

"Oh for the love of-SHUT UP! Antoine! Hi Jump Kick!"

"Bianca recall Tepig!" I shouted as Scraggy prepped for another attack. Bianca fumbled around in her bag for a moment, clearly sweating before snatching a pokeball. She pointed it at Tepig and called back the fire pig pokemon. Making Scraggy miss and hit his leg on the hard earth. He cringed for a moment. Wait a minute...

"Hmph. Waste the Oshawott." Oh dang it. I knew I forgot something. I grabbed my only other option. Tony's luxury ball.

"Tony! Use Incinerate and stop him!" My plucky best friend came out on the double, fire attack blazing. Antoine hardly saw it coming and was rocketed right into a wall. "Don't stop, follow up with Quick Attack!"

"Moron. Use Swagger!" Antoine landed with a grunt and an evil sparkle in his eye. I gulped. I didn't know that attack. Since Antoine was a dark type, it could be anything. I was ready for the worst, but all Antoine did as Tony ran forward was cross his arms. After foolishly thinking I was out of the woods, the Scraggy was coated in a shining scarlet aura. And that was it. I smirked as Tony got in close. If he could he could just land a hit...after he smacked into the wall.

"What?" I was flabbergasted. He had been right on course. He even had Victory Star on his side. How could he have missed?

"Idiot. Do you not know how Swagger works?"

"Ah shut up! What do you know?" I brought out my pokedex and looked up Swagger so I wouldn't have to listen to this maniac talk any more than I had to.

"_**Swagger. A move that raises the opponent's attack power, but also confuses the target."**_

"Aw geez!" Tony looked confused all right. He was stumbling all over the place, and he had a really distorted frown on his face. Distress just seemed to radiate from my little buddy as he walked into walls and jumped in the air only to use Quick Attack on the ground, messing him up even further.

"With its attack power raised, your pokemon will just do more damage to itself. God you're a moron." I clenched my teeth. There was one thing I knew for sure. This guy was no newbie. He knew how to work these battles. "Kids like you shouldn't even be near pokemon if you suck this much. Faint Attack!"

"Gah! What are you-?"

"Putting it out of its misery!" Antoine disappeared for a moment, only to reappear behind Tony. And before Tony could even hit him by accident in his confused state, Antoine swept his legs, making him fall on his face. "Wrap it up!" Antoine leapt into the sky once again. And once again, he used Hi Jump Kick and landed on Tony's head, smashing it right into the earth.

"TONY!" Needless to say, he fainted. But that was the extent. It could've been much worse. He hadn't even been in the battle long enough to tell me he was hungry. I brought out his luxury ball in a panic and hit the recall button. I couldn't believe it. We lost in just those two moves. I was sweating up a storm. If nothing else, one thing was clear.

There was no way I could possibly win this.

He was too strong. This guy was a wacko, but talented. Even if I sent Snivy out, what good would it do? Knowing Snivy, she'd probably join up with this guy in kicking my butt. And I was worried about Bianca too. She was just cowering, holding Munna protectively. She was incredibly vulnerable. I was wondering what this probable criminal was capable of. So many things were running through my head. And I couldn't do a thing about any of them. I...I couldn't anything.

"What, you gonna cry now?" I wasn't. I didn't even look it. Okay, maybe a little. "Aw wittle baby. Maybe you shouldn't have taken up this job kid. If you're not willing to deal with people like me, then you're pretty much screwed." I grimaced. And just as the last sliver of sunlight vanished from over the horizon, I actually saw someone worse off than me. And worse off than Bianca too. Oshawott. He was still breathing hard. I still didn't understand why he was protecting Munna earlier. Did wild pokemon just look out for each other?

Wait...Oshawott...was wild...

"Such a dumbass." Yuki continued with his little rant about how much I sucked at life. I walked over to Oshawott as he continued to gloat. "I mean, you're not even willing to do what's necessary. If you were terrible at this, that'd be one thing. But you are, by far, the most idiotic little son of a-"

"Shut up!" I screamed as I scooped Oshawott into my arms. I could no longer see Yuki's face in the dark of the night, but I didn't want to. "I don't care how good you are! I don't care if I just started out! I don't care if I don't know what I'm doing yet!"

"What the hell are you-?"

"It doesn't matter if I can't beat you right now! Yeah! I'm a little freaked out. But that's 'cause you're freakin' nuts! Yeah, you're better than me! So what? I've been dreaming every day. I've been waiting. I wanted to be a pokemon trainer all my life. And now that I am." I cradled Oshawott in one hand and searched around in my bag for the other. And if I didn't find what I was looking for before my speech was over, I would have nothing to back it up. "Nothing is gonna stop me, from reaching my goal. You can try. But just because you're a freaky sadist, it doesn't mean you can crush my dreams! Yeah, I'm not a good trainer yet. But you know what? I've done it for only a few days now. I'm none too confident, but let's get one thing straight." The first shard of moonlight shone onto our little battlefield, and I was able to see Yuki raise an eyebrow when he saw the heal ball in my hand. The same one I had picked up on the way there. "I will make my dreams come true. And I'll use every opion I have to do it."

I touched the heal ball to the scalchop on Oshawott's stomach. And it snapped open. Oshawott was converted into red energy and was instantly warped inside the pink sphere. The button flashed red for a moment, and with a "_ding" _Oshawott had been caught. And before I even relished in this small victory, I tossed the ball in the air, letting it open wide.

"Oshawott! I choose you!" The light of Oshawott's release lit up the night like nothing else. And when he hit the ground and took form, he stood strong, with a scalchop in his hand and a fire in his eyes. It worked. It actually worked. The heal ball had healed all his wounds, and got him fully prepped for battle. Although he did look a little confused. He turned around to find me catching his heal ball. Instead of getting mad that I caught him, his eyes simply glittered in the little moonlight.

"_Is this for real?" _Oshawott asked with that hopeful glitter in his eyes.

"Uh...yeah, I guess." I had no idea what was happening. I guess he wanted to be caught, but I couldn't fathom why.

"_YES!" _Oshawott exclaimed to the heavens, making me step back a bit. Oshawott bumped his fist against his chest in pride, obviously a little cocky. "_I got me a human!"_

"You...got me...'eh?"

"Are you actually talking to that thing?" Yuki said with rolling eyes. Great. Now the crazy guy thought I was crazy. What does that even say about me?

"Just forget it! We're back in this game! Oshawott! Use Water Gun!"

"_Sure thing!" _Oshawott winked at me, and then got his game face on. He turned back and with a mischievous smirk, he fired off Water Gun at his opponent.

"Hi Jump Kick!" Antoine was too fast for our assault, getting into the air before Water Gun even got close. "You missed."

"Did we? Aim it at Yuki!"

"What?" Yuki expected the water to stop pumping right out of Oshawott's mouth when it was obvious we'd never hit Antoine. But quite on the contrary, I wasn't interested in aiming at something we'd never beat in direct confrontation. Yuki never saw it coming. The water pressure was enough to push the sadist back a few feet, but not quite enough to knock him off his own feet. He had blocked his face with crossed arms, but when he put them down, he was fuming. First time I saw him mad. Satisfying, but not quite what I needed to focus on.

Antoine was distracted. Aiming at the trainer hadn't exactly been a part of his plan either. He turned back to see the extent of the damage, and therein my opening lied.

"Oshawott! Razor Shell! And aim for the legs!" Oshawott was no slouch. He heard the order and he was more than happy to oblige. He prepared his scalchop and in a flash it surged with a watery blue aura. He leaped to the distracted Scraggy's level, slashing at Antoine's feet. Antoine yelped in pain, and to make matters worse (for him) he landed on his head with a thud, still nursing his wounded legs.

"What in the-?"

"Ha! Now who doesn't know what he's doing? You missed with Hi Jump Kick so many times, your Scraggy was bound to build up some damage in the legs. And hitting you with Water Gun was the perfect diversion to line him up for Razor Shell."

"You little-"

"You said before that I'm not willing to do what's necessary. Well guess what? I'm not aiming to be a hero or anything, so I'm willing to attack you if I have to. I just want to get the heck away from you. With my pokemon in as few pieces as possible."

"Not too proud of yourself, are you?"

"Nope! I know I'm a newbie, so sue me. I may not be able to beat you today, but I know I will someday. For now, I'll settle for getting as far away from you as possible."

"Grrrr. Antoine! Swagger!"

"No chance! Snivy! Come out and use Vine Whip on me!"

"What was that?" Yuki exclaimed with complete bewilderment as Snivy emerged from her pokeball, landing right in front of Oshawott. And just as I expected, she immediately switched her focus over to me. Just for the sake of disobeying me, Snivy didn't use Vine Whip. Instead, her tail leaves began to glow. I recognized this attack. It was Leaf Blade. Snivy was about to punce on me...until Antoine used Swagger that is. And when I saw Antoine glow red, I knew what was coming. Snivy's eyes widened, and she began to stumble. Oshawott simply blinked at the disoriented grass type, completely unaware that that attack was meant for him.

Snivy, in her confused stupor, turned her hatred towards Yuki. I saw the man clench his teeth just before Snivy jumped him. She flipped multiple times in the air before trying to slash away at the psycho with her Leaf Blade. Yuki backstepped in time, but the Leaf Blade did manage to catch onto his jacket pocket. It fell to the earth, pokeballs rolling out of it upon impact. Yuki saw this and immediately made an attempt to grab them. But I was ready for him now.

"Now Snivy! Use Leaf Blade again! Give me a taste!" And once again, I was able to fool Snivy. Instead of using Leaf Blade on me, she spun mid-air and used Leaf Tornado at no dicsernable target. But luckily Yuki's pokeballs were caught in the vortex. As the attack dispersed, the pokeballs scattered everywhere, with shadows still plaguing our location. "You have fun looking for those! Snivy, return!"

I recalled Snivy because, well, I didn't want her confusion to disappear while she was still out of her pokeball. She might realize she was attacking thin air instead of me. I motioned for Oshawott to get over to me. He jumped into my arms, and I turned around and dashed towards Bianca.

"Wow, amazing!" Bianca said with an admiring look towards me. "That was awesome! You're so strong. What are you gonna do now? Beat him with a really smart strategy? Oh I know! You're gonna use Hydro Pump! Does your Oshawott know Hydro Pump? It has to, I know it does! You're so cool! Your Oshawott knows Hydro Pump! I bet-"

"RUN NOW! TALK LATER!" I grabbed her free wrist, since the other was holding Munna deftly. I rushed her past the psychopath, who was scrambling around for his pokeballs with his Scraggy. I looked back as we escaped, just to make sure he wasn't gonna follow us. He wouldn't be getting up and chasing us any time soon. Though he did give me a very rude gesture with his hand that I can't exactly describe in good company. Something told me I hadn't seen the last of him. Though I certainly hoped otherwise as my millions of beads of sweat indicated.

I dragged Bianca out of that scrapyard, but I didn't stop there. I kept running, through the forest and down the road. I kept running and running, functioning solely with adrenaline. And when I saw the city lights brighten up my night, I let out a groan of relief. We were in the clear. We were surrounded by normal, non-creepy people. Well, if Cilan showed up it would be a different story, but hey he wasn't there.

"Phew. That was...close." I said between breaths. And there was Bianca, staring at me without so much as a hint that she was even a little tired from that run. Was I just out of shape, or was she really just that much more athletic than me? The world may never know.

"You were great!" Bianca praised me with such a high-pitched squeal that it required a few people around us to cover their ears. Including me. "Wow, Black. You're so strong! Are you gonna challenge the gym? Because if you did-"

"Bianca! Are you gonna catch that Munna?" I interrupted her little rant that I'm sure wouldn't be going anywhere. I pointed at the Munna she had protected, which was still staring at her with a dopey expression under her arm. Bianca realized she had been holding the Munna the whole time instead of catching her with a pokeball. And she laughed like a hyena when she did so. "Whoopsie."

"Here." I said as I offered her an empty pokeball. She snatched it up right away, and pressed it to Munna's forehead. And like Oshawotts and Joltiks before, Munna was snapped inside. And with little resistance, the ball stopped shaking in her hand, making the traditional "_ding" _noise. Huh. Funny. The Munna hadn't really known Bianca that well, and yet she was easily caught. Then again, who was I to talk? I had two pokemon that had already done that. Well, three counting Tony.

"Yippee!" Bianca exclaimed as she posed with her pokeball. And in classic Bianca style, she immediately forgot about it and asked a completely irrelevant question. "You were awesome! How did your Snivy work through that confusion? Because I know, that if I was confused, I'd-"

"Snivy hates me."

"Oh." Bianca got quiet. Hate was a touchy subject with her. Since, y'know, she didn't really hate anyone.

"Yeah. And since she was confused, I knew that she wouldn't attack me. Just the opposite. I can be smart when I wanna be. And as for you." I began, holding Oshawott in my outstretched hands, so I could get a better look at him. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?"

"_It's not that complicated." _On a side note, I was fully understanding him now. not just jumbles of his speech, but all of it. Wait that's not a side note. That should be the biggest note of all! "_That guy tripped over my new friend Munna. And then he just started attacking her."_

"That's...that's it?" I stated with a shattering patience. "We went through all that, because that guy couldn't watch where he was GOING?"

"_Uh...yes." _The Oshawott replied with the goofiest grin I'd ever seen in my life. Why wasn't that psycho committed? How could anyone in their right mind, let THAT out on the streets? People just as insane, that's who!

"Hey cool! You can talk to him!" Ah crud. I forgot. Normal people can't have conversations with an Oshawott. "Oooh, I know! Ask him what his favourite food is!"

"_Anything delicious I can get my hands on, really." _I face-palmed and moved on. The difference between Bianca and normal people was that Bianca wouldn't question the fact that I was chatting with a freaking POKEMON!

"Yeah, that's another thing. Why did you steal all that stuff?"

"_Well..." _Oshawott was rather awkward here. He was staring at his dangling tail, like he didn't want to talk about it. "_I...I don't really know how to survive in the wild."_

"Huh? Shouldn't that be second nature to a pokemon?"

"_Excuse me, have you ever been a pokemon?" _I shook my head. "_Then shut your mouth. I was born in the city y'see. And...stealing always seemed easier than foraging."_

"So you're just lazy."

"_I didn't say that!" _Oshawott crossed his arms and turned away. "_It's not like I like stealing. It's just the only way to get by."_

"Hmmmm." It made sense. I couldn't argue with that. I know if I was all alone, I would be desperate to feed myself too. "Okay. I guess I believe you."

"_Huh? Really?" _Oshawott looked genuinely surprised. But that quickly went away when his eyes started to glitter again with the street lights. "_Oh wow. I picked a great human."_

"Yeah, okay, I get the food." I continued, not even acknowledging the sudden change in attitude. "But why did you steal the stuff from the gym and all those pokeballs and the other stuff? You had no use for that!"

"_How else was I gonna get your attention?"_

"Huh?"

"_Listen up Bro."_

"Not my name."

"_Whatever Bro. I already said that I don't like to steal. And I do live in the city. And whenever I steal something in that place with all the trainers." _The pokemon center, no doubt. "_I see them. The pokemon. And how their humans always help them out. Feeding 'em. Teaching 'em new moves. Givin' 'em hugs. I...I don't really have any family...so."_

"You...you wanted...a partner?"

"_...Yeah." _

"Hmm. Alright then."

"_Huh?" _

"Got you in this heal ball, didn't I? Which means you and I are in this for the long haul."

"_Really? You mean it?" _Oshawott got that look in his glittering eyes again. Guess I had caught a new pokemon. Don't know if 'catch' was the right word, but hey, if it meant having another pal with me, who was I to complain?

A new friend. A new enemy. And hopefully, tomorrow, a shiny new gym badge.

**End of Chapter Seven!**

**Alright there's the end of another chapter. Remember people. I like your OC's. I just gotta be fair. **

**So without further ado, let me end off by saying-**

**Black: HOLD IT!  
><strong>  
><strong>Ah geez, what is it?<strong>

**Black: Where's the music number! I had my dance shoes ready and everything!**

**Ah man, do I have to?**

**Black: You promised one per chapter!**

**Fine! HEY BIANCA! SING SOMETHING!**

**Bianca: What am I supposed to sing?**

**I dunno. You watch that one show, what's it called...Joy?**

**Bianca: It's Glee!**

**Whatever, start singing!**

_**Bianca: **__**Remember those walls I built,**_  
><em><strong>Well, baby they're tumbling down.<strong>_  
><em><strong>They didn't even put up a fight,<strong>_  
><em><strong>They didn't even make a sound.<strong>_

_**It's like I've been awakened!**_  
><em><strong>Every rule I had you breakin'!<strong>_  
><em><strong>It's the risk that I'm takin'!<strong>_  
><em><strong>I ain't never gonna shut you out!<strong>_

_**Everywhere I'm looking now!**_  
><em><strong>I'm surrounded by your embrace!<strong>_  
><em><strong>Baby I can see your halo!<strong>_  
><em><strong>You know you're my saving grace!<strong>_

_**You're everything I need and more! (I'm walking on sunshine, wooah!)**_  
><em><strong>It's written all over your face!<strong>_  
><em><strong>Baby I can feel your halo! (I'm walking on sunshine, wooah!)<strong>_

_**And don't it feel good!**_

_**I can feel your halo, halo, halo,**_  
><em><strong>I can see your halo, halo, halo,<strong>_  
><em><strong>I can feel your halo, halo, halo, (I'm walking on sunshine, wooah!)<strong>_  
><em><strong>I can see your halo, halo, halo, (I'm walking on sunshine, wooah!)<strong>_

_**And don't it feel good!**_

_**I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I'm sure!**_  
><em><strong>And I just cant wait till the day when you knock on my door!<strong>_

_**Oh now now!**_

_**I'm walking on sunshine, wooah!**_  
><em><strong>I'm walking on sunshine, wooah!<strong>_  
><em><strong>I'm walking on sunshine, wooah ohoh!<strong>_  
><em><strong>And don't it feel good!<strong>_

_**I can feel your halo, halo, halo,**_  
><em><strong>I can see your halo, halo, halo,<strong>_  
><em><strong>I can feel your halo, halo, halo,<strong>_  
><em><strong>I can see your halo, halo, halo!<strong>_

_**I can feel your halo, halo, halo,**_  
><em><strong>I can see your halo, halo, halo!<strong>_

_**I can see your halo,**_  
><em><strong>HALO!<strong>_


	8. Rotating Opposition

**Well people, it finally happened. I knew this day would come. The day I get beaten at a Rotation Battle on wi-fi...(sigh)...**

**Review Responses: Citrine - Sure thing. PM me whatever.**

**harison86 - You'll just have to wait and see. Mwa ha. **

**ZXCVBNMEM - Indeed.**

**Professor Yuki - Thanks for the props. And believe me, I'm not done with Yuki yet. No no. He'll be back, no worries. Also, I hate Glee as well. My sister just loves torturing me in the car with that music. When I'M driving. Just another way Bianca can be annoying. **

**Kiskonence - It's not too late for OC's. In fact, last chapter, I clearly said that anyone who still wants to can send in an OC (since most of them received had some problems).**

**And just to reiterate, ****OC's are still being accepted. ****I don't know why people thought they weren't. Yes, I know I said there would be a cutoff date, but last chapter, I got rid of that. So OC's are free to be sent in. **

**Chapter 8: Rotating Opposition**

"I must thank you again for last night." Cilan said as he and his brothers bowed in a very gentlemanly manner. We all stood atop their rocky battlefield, and I think you know why. It was time for my gym battle. Cilan's, Cress', and Chili's fangirls stood in the rafters, pom-poms ready to cheer for whichever brother would be battling. And on my side stood Bianca, with her Tepig in her arms. I was glad she was here to cheer for me. I felt a little intimidated against the fanbase my opponents had built up. "You found all our things! Wherever were they?"

"Uh...the dreamyard, actually." I replied. Bianca had told me the name of that scrapyard, and I honestly didn't get it. Didn't look like a place where dreams would be a factor to me. The only problem was, this was a total lie. Oshawott had taken everything, and had "accidentally" dropped them on the way to the dreamyard. But hey, I didn't want Witt to get blamed for everything.

Oh, yeah, that's right. I named Oshawott, Witt. Seemed like a good choice since he was smart enough to get away with thieving for so long.

"And now the time has come, hasn't it?"

"Yep. I'm ready for my gym battle!"

"Alright then! It's your choice! Who will you choose to battle?"

"It'll be me of course!" Chili boasted, smirking and pointing at himself. "If you want a passionate battle with the fire-type scorcher! That's me! Chili!"

"Or you could choose me." Cress said in his calm and suave style. "And have a battle with the esteemed water-type trainer, Cress!"

"Or me!" Cilan wrapped it up. "The grass-type specialist, Cilan!"

"Hmm." I pretended to think for a moment. The truth was, I had decided on my choice the previous night. It wasn't easy. They all had such cool pokemon. "Well, if you're looking from my point of view, you'd see three gym leaders who would all make awesome opponents!"

"Why thank you."

"The truth is, any one of you would be tough to beat. And I have a feeling I'd learn a lot from it. So that's why-" I paused and backed up a little. Only to point my finger at the three brothers and shout as loud as I could. "-I'd like to challenge all three of you!"

(A/N - I know this looks like how it happened in the anime. But please bear with me, it won't be exactly the same.)

"Huh?" Cilan said in disbelief.

"What?" Chili exclaimed.

"Hm?" Cress...I didn't even know what that was.

"Please. I know your gym's rule usually only allows one leader to go up against one challenger. But this is my very first gym battle." I had a very puppy-dog expression on my face. This battle would be happening my way. I was determined. "And I want it to be one to remember. So please, could you make an exception?"

"Well, to be honest." Cilan began awkwardly, his brothers and him exchanging glances. "You're the first challenger to want this. So naturally, we have no idea what to do about this."

"I have an idea." Cress followed up, running his fingers through his overly large bangs. "What about a rotation battle?"

"A rotation battle?" The other brothers and I asked out of interest. I'd heard of those. But I thought they required a special field that their pokemon would stand on. Then the trainer would press a button to rotate them in and out of current combat. It was a much more strategic way to battle.

"Yes. I think we're all aware of the rules of such a battle. And I don't think we need a large and grotesque mechanical field for this."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Look at it this way. We send out Pansage, Pansear and Panpour. And then Black will send out his three choices. Then, one pokemon will battle at a time. And when each side wants to switch their combatants, we'll simply shout the word 'rotate'. And on our side, only the person currently battling can choose to rotate. Simple enough?"

"Hmm. Yes, I like it. It has a rare zest to it." Cilan said in that...Cilan voice of his. "What do you think Black?"

"Yeah! I'm ready for 'ya! Let's do this!" I answered with as much confidence as I could muster. I rushed over to my side of the field, getting on my podium and getting my pokeballs ready. Boy, was I ever jittery. My hands were shaking just trying to grasp my pokeballs. I took a deep breath as I watched my three foes sent out their pokemon. Pansage was on the right. Pansear was released in the middle. And off to my left, Panpour appeared.

_Okay. Looks like Pansear is starting out first. _I thought to myself as the waitress who had warned Cilan yesterday that their supplies were missing approached the judge's podium. She looked just as jittery as me. This looked like the first time she had to judge a match. Guess the one brother judged another's match at any other time.

"This...uh...this rotation battle between the gym leaders of Striaton City-"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIII!" The fangirls screeched at the mention of the leaders.

"-and...uh...th-the challnger...um...Black, will now begin!" The girl finished with a blushing face. I tossed my pokeballs, if only to put her out of her misery.

"Tony! Witt! Joel! I choose you!" I declared as my pokeball, luxury ball and heal ball opened up wide. And in three identical flashes of light, my three buddies popped out, all of them looking ready for a fight. And they were instantly confounded when they saw each other, all on the battlefield. Seems they all thought this would be their battle alone.

"_Hey! What are you doing out! This is my fight!" _Witt shouted at the other two with rage like I'd never seen. Joel winced and covered his head with his legs. Tony however, sneered back.

"_I'm fightin' with Bro!" _Tony said with a threatening stance. "_You go away!"_

"Guys!" I shouted. They snapped to attention quick. "This is a rotation battle. You're all in this together. And when I yell rotate, you gotta switch places with one of the other two, alright?"

"'_Kay Bro!" _Tony said with a wide-mouthed smile. He was quick to change moods. Witt simply crossed his arms and nodded. With a groan, I coordinated them into the right places. Since Chili was first, Witt would be standing in the middle. I had Tony to the left of my standing podium and Joel to the right. This was it. Butterflies were trying to ram their way out of my stomach. I was so ready for this. Or at least, I thought I was.

"I'll kick things off! Pansear, use Dig!" Chili was starting off smart. I hadn't expected a fire type to know Dig. And before I could react, Pansear sprung up from underneath Witt's feet. "Now Fury Swipes!"

"Witt! Fight back with Razor Shell!" Witt tried, he really did. But Pansear was moving too fast. The primate's hands were so swift, they knocked the scalchop away before Witt could even think of grabbing it. And when Pansear was done, he leapt away, leaving Witt to collapse on his back. For a second, I thought that would be it.

But Witt's evil-toothed grin said otherwise. Witt got on his feet, snickering all the while. Chili cringed for a second before regaining his composure.

"Use Dig!"

"Fool me once shame on you! Fool me twice, and we use Water Gun in the hole!"

"Say what?" Chili yelled as his Pansear headed underground and Witt went right after him. Before the monkey's tail even disappeared beneath the earth, Witt blasted his Water Gun right in after him. The earth trembled as Witt shot in more and more pressure. That was some powerful stuff. I was already losing my balance. I gulped at the thought of what I might've just unleashed. For all I knew this could've been tearing the gym to pieces. But in the end, I was wrong again. And I never get tired of being wrong.

Something was being torn apart all right. The floor. The rocky terrain before me was starting to crack up and the vibrations were getting worse. And then the scene came to a climax when the field broke apart and a spout of water shot up from the earth. And guess who was on top?

"Pansear!" Chili shouted as his partner flailed atop the mighty geiser of water. Of course, he wasn't the only thing in pain. The field itself had been ripped apart, the rocky boulders being reduced to rubble and the very earth being riddled with craters. "Grrrr. I'll still win!"

"Doubt it! Rotate! Switch with Joel!" Witt blinked, confused. But nonetheless, he let up on his attack and ran back to my side, leaving Pansear to fall to the earth on his face. Joel scuttled out, afraid to get too close. He was a bug type after all. He didn't work well with fire. But Pansear was still stunned, and I knew Joel was faster. Which meant this was bound to work. "Now! Electro Ball!"

Joel got his game face on. The surging ball of electricity was building up at his incisors, and Pansear was too weak to actually do anything about it. Not for lack of trying mind you.

"Pansear! Get up! Quick!" Chili was freaking out. Witt's evil grin must be contagious because I was getting it too. I had a leap of hope hit my heart like a bullet. That Pansear was on all fours and his arms were still shaky. My hands were shaking just from the thrill of this.

"Launch it!" Joel released the sphere of volts with aplomb, letting it soar towards the enemy with perfect accuracy. And when it hit, I felt the shockwave. In fact, I had to step back a bit, since my hat was almost blown off. Pansear was much worse off though. He'd taken on a lot of water, and the Electro Ball caused extra damage upon impact.

"_Waaaaaaaaaah!" _Pansear screeched as he was electrocuted. The electricity didn't fade until he stopped thrashing and fainted, leaving the first victory to me.

"Pansear is unable to battle!" The waitress...or the referee...or whatever, declared quickly, cringing as she did so. She obviously didn't like to see her bosses lose. "That means Black is the winner!"

"OH NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The army of fangirls squealed from their point of observation. They were more disappointed than the waitress referee, that's for sure.

"OH YEAH!" I leaped for joy, thrusting my hands in the air. I looked to Tony, whom I expected to be dancing his cute jig. But instead of laughing at the silliness of his dance, I had to gulp at his grumpy posture. He had his arms crossed and was more focused on the wall than the battle. And to top of the grumpiness, he kicked a piece of rubble that had landed near his feet. That, and he was letting out huffs like he'd never been more angry.

"Hey buddy. What's up?" I asked him as Chili screamed in despair. His brothers shook their heads, asking the one question in their minds that I had to ask myself. Why didn't he rotate? To which he replied: "I forgot I could do that."

"_I wanted to beat him." _Tony answered in an aggravated way. Yipes. Never saw him this way. Guess he wanted to be the first in the fray. But I simply smiled and rubbed his ears.

"Hey, gotta save our secret weapon for last, right?" I whispered into his gigantic ears, which immediately perked up after hearing these words. He looked back at the field, hearing Joel's incisors clacking together in celebration of his victory. Witt too was looking pretty smug, even though he hadn't dealt the finishing blow. Tony grinned and began to dance the day away once again. With that matter over and done with, I heard footsteps from across the arena. Looking up, I found Cilan stepping up to the plate, his hands clapping very courteously.

"Very impressive Black." Cilan praised me as he and Pansage got into battle position. And at the exact same time, they bowed. "You've shown us some interesting tastes. And now we'll show you our premium brand battle style."

"Sounds good Cilan!" I shouted back with a tip of my hat, otherwise known as my version of the courteous bow. "Let's see what you got."

"Very well! Pansage! Let's give them an appetizer of Bullet Seed!" Pansage's cheeks bulged up for a second, and then the games began. Pansage opened his mouth and began to spit glowing green seeds at Joel. Joel's panicked legs began scuttling all over the place. And even though he was an insect, I swear I saw some sweat.

"Joel! Fight back with Electro Ball!" Joel heard my voice and stopped scrambling for the moment. He formed up his electricity quick and fired it as fast as he could.

"Pansage! Give your attack some spice! Solarbeam!"

"Say what?" Pansage placed his hands a few inches from each other. And in seconds, a powerful light built up at his fingertips, forming into a tremendous shining collection of golden energy. Fast as a rocket, Pansage shot the energy at Joel, showing the full extent of a Solar Beam. I had to shut my eyes from the brightness. Joel too was bewildered, and couldn't quite keep his eyes peeled. The Solarbeam soared right past his own Bullet Seed attack, impacting the Electro Ball and creating a shock so large, that I was thrown right off my feet, landing flat on my back, making what felt like a crack in my spine. Yowch that hurt. I rubbed my wound with clenched teeth. And when I opened my eyes...

"Joltik is unable to battle!" I had to blink at this scene. Joel lied in a heap, his legs twitching in his fainted state. "That means our leader Cilan wins!"

"Cilan! Cilan! He's our guy! When he battles, his opponents fry! YAAAAAAAAAAAY CILAN!" Cilan's cheering section was blazing in my ear as I recalled Joel with a grimace. Cilan and Pansage bowed again. Once to us and once to the cheerleaders. I made myself swallow hard. This guy wouldn't be a pushover. I was getting jittery again. This was a real gym battle. I swelled up in anticipation. Here's where the real fight would begin.

"You're pretty good Cilan."

"Why thank you."

"This ain't over yet though. Tony!" My little buddy snapped to attention. He stared up at me with those hopeful eyes and adorable flapping ears. How could I resist. "You and me buddy! Let's win this!"

"_Yeah!" _Tony skipped into the brawl, happy as could be. My face felt hot as the ladies in the audience began their high-pitched screams once again.

"SOOOO CUUUUUTE!" Tony heard their screams and waved to them with an open-mouthed grin. This just caused more screeches which almost cracked my eardrums. This was getting ridiculous. Why did they have to be here?

"Okay Tony! Let's start off with Confusion!" I had planned to go through Pansage quick with some psychic attacks and finish off Cilan with some fire. Then the badge would be in the bag when Witt faced off against Panpour. Unfortunately, I didn't count on Cilan not being Chili.

"Pansage! Dodge it with Dig!" Pansage was no slouch. In fact, he might've been even faster than Pansear as he burrowed under the now virtually destroyed earth. Tony couldn't get a lock in time. Tony started to panic, and I couldn't blame him. Though I could help him.

"Tony! Use those ears and listen for Pansage!" Tony nodded and shut his eyes. For a moment, we all sat in silence. Occasionally Tony's ears would twitch, or we'd hear a faint rumbling underground, but most of the time, the only sound I heard was my heart beating faster. My hands were shaking again, this time out of suspense. But no worries. Cilan made all the suspense disappear. Not to my liking, mind you.

"Pansage! Charge a Solarbeam underground!"

"You can do that?" Uh-oh. If he was getting ready for an attack, then I'd have to get ready for it. "Tony! When you hear him coming up, use Incinerate!" Tony gave me a half-nod before the order was carried out. Pansage was emerging, right near Tony's feet. Tony leaped in the air with his ears already glowing red hot. He blasted Incinerate right at the point of emergence, hoping to land a preemptive strike.

But no dice. Solarbeam was too fast. The energy of the blast rocketed out of the earth, making contact with Incinerate. Tony bumped up the intensity, lighting up the whole arena in a firey glow. I could feel the heat radiating from it and it was making me pant. Sweat cascaded from my brow. Tony had certainly gotten stronger.

But in the end, Solarbeam won out. It parted the theIncinerate like the Red Sea and landed a successful blow on the still hovering Tony. The blast sent Tony flying, landing with a thud near my feet. For a second, I thought that would be it. But like Cilan, he wasn't to be underestimated. He got on his feet, sure he was breathing hard, but he was still ready to win. That was my Tony.

"Now! Rotate!" Cilan said with a bow. Pansage made a dignified bow as well and hopped back to the gym leader's side. And then Panpour stepped up to the plate. I cinged. This was way too early for Panpour. And with Joel out of the game, I had no type advantage. And I knew Cress was an effective battler. I had no choice but to do what I did.

"Tony! Rotate with Witt!" Tony shuffled back to my side and Witt got his mischievous grin. I didn't know for sure, but it looked to me he was rather pumped up to fight another water type. "Alright Witt! Get in close with Razor Shell!" Witt charged, Razor Shell in hand, and it looked to me like Cress wante dPanpour to stand there, because I didn't see any sign of movement.

"Panpour! Use Water Gun. And aim it at the feet." Panpour did so, and aimed for Witt's feet with impressive accuracy. The force sent Witt tumbling, making him drop his scalchop and land on his face.

"Yuh-oh." I gulped. Witt needed that scalchop. It worked on both offense and defense. It was his lifeline. And to make matters worse, it landed near Panpour.

"Panpour! Grab the scalchop and use Dig!" Cress was one step ahead. And Panpour was right on that train as well. Now we had two problems. No scalchop, and no Panpour to aim an attack at. But Cress had made a big mistake and it was time we showed him the error of his ways.

"Witt! Use Water Gun in the hole!"

"Not quite!" Stupid me and my assumptions. "Panpour emerge and use Water Gun. Oh, and give that Oshawott his scalchop back would you?"

Panpour leaped out of the ground behind Witt, making my otter pokemon jump. Panpour wasn't done with the fancy surprises yet. The chimp tossed the scalchop before himself and then used Water Gun, shooting the shell like a projectile at Witt. And Witt was too startled to dodge. The scalchop hit Witt in the face, making him tumble onto his back.

"_Why you-!" _Witt growled as he pulled himself together.

"Rotate!" Cress said, smug as could be. Witt and I both widened our eyes in unison as Pansage got back in the battle. And before I could begin to splutter the word rotate, we were done for.

"Solarbeam!" Just as fast as before, Pansage prepped a Solarbeam and launched it with gusto.

"Witt! Grab that scalchop and block the Solarbeam!" Witt heard me, did a somersault and snatched up his scalchop. He held it out as a shield, in an effort to halt that Solarbeam. The impact made Witt recoil a bit, but soon, the energy faded and he was left undamaged.

"Ah!" Cilan exclaimed and got that look in his eye. The one that foreshadowed-

"**It's taaaaaaaasting tiiiiiiiiime!" **

"Now that's a surprising and creative blend. You prevented the sour taste from getting thrown in with the rest of your sweet recipe! An amazing defense!"

"Thanks Cilan! We do our best!" Witt was just as cocky as me. He was bowing to the audience, to me, to Tony and to Cilan in a cheap immitation of the maitre d.

"But now it's time for the battle to be served! Use Fury Swipes!"

"Fight back with Razor Shell!" Witt and Pansage ran at each other, Pansage brandishing his glowing hands and Witt brandishing his scalchop. And then they clashed, and I swear I've never seen a more epic battle. Pansage lashed out first, striking at where Witt's arms met the body. But Witt was no slouch himself. He countered every swipe and every thrust. He spun, he ducked, he dived and dodged any blow that might've been fatal. Pansage went in with both hands, planning to rely on power. Cilan must've expected this. He knew I just caught Witt and bet on his lack of experience. But what he didn't count on was Witt's inability to give up.

Witt struck back and then the match became a stalemate. Witt's Razor Shell against Pansage's Fury Swipes. Both pokemon had their teeth clenched and were giving it all they had. The two were taking quick breaths, tired from their constant clashes. Something had to give. But before it could, Cilan and I got impatient.

"Water Gun!"

"Bullet Seed!"

The duo of attacks at such close range were too much. The resulting clash resulted in both pokemon being forced away from each other, tumbling. Witt got up first and rushed Pansage who was still recovering.

"Pansage! Dig!"

"No dice! Witt! Go in after him and use Razor Shell to get him out of there!" Pansage headed underground and Witt slid into the hole he made in order for a chase to ensue. For a moment, there was a distant rumbling, and then Pansage came up in a big way. Witt's way. Pansage shot out of the earth like a rocket and Witt wasn't done yet. He jumped, hoping to give the monkey a final thrashing.

"Solarbeam!"

"Redirect yourself with Water Gun!" Witt shot Water Gun towards the wall and got himself out of the way of an oncoming Solarbeam. Witt landed on his tail, dazed but not hurt. Pansage landed at this time as well, getting his composure back as much as he could. "Now! Razor Shell!"

"Fight back with Fury Swipes!" The two dashed towards each other once more, and this time, they both hit each other successfully. And there they stood. Witt with sharp claws against his joints, and Pansage with a Razor Shell in his stomach. Neither of us knew who'd come out of this one. The tension was too thick for a knife to cut it. We couldn't see the expressions on the faces of our pokemon. Even Cilan looked aggitated for the first time since I met him. For a second, I thought they'd both fainted while standing.

But then Witt dropped.

He landed flat on his back, in a fainted state and his evil grin still plastered across his face.

"No..." I said to myself. Witt lost. Not only were my hands shaking now, but my face was twitching in time along with them. This was the full extent of a gym leader's power.

"Black's Oshawott is unable to battle! Which means Pansage and Cilan are-"

Hold that thought. Because Pansage hit the dirt just seconds later. He had fainted as well.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Cilan's fangirls yelled without mercy. Note to self, get some earplugs for these kinds of situations.

"Uhhh...Pansage is also unable to battle! Which means it's a draw!"

"Wow..." Cilan said with widened eyes. And then he began to clap, applauding both pokemon. I blinked at him. This was one crazy guy all right. Never met anyone like him. And I had to admit, I clapped along with him. Cilan certainly was a challenge. In fact, I didn't technically beat him. "An amazing meal of a battle! The battle was served! And in the end, we both became the victor! An honor to battle with you indeed Black."

"It was my pleasure Cilan." I replied with Witt's grin on my face. An homage to the pokemon I was currently returning to his pokeball. "You weren't too bad youself!"

"Yes. That was an adequate battle." Cress said as he flipped his bangs and stepped up to the battlefield. "But now, I'm your opponent Black. And this is where the battle shall be concluded."

"You got it Cress! You're up Tony!" Tony got into the fight, albeit a little hesitantly. I was anxious as well. Fire and water, they didn't exactly mix well for our side. "Come on Tony! Water type or not, an opponent is an opponent! And we're gonna win this!"

"_Yep! Yep! Yep!" _Tony may have been nervous, but he was still his happy-go-lucky self. No matchup would change that.

"Water Gun!" Cress started off without much warning. And Tony was caught off guard.

"Dodge it with Quick Attack!"

"No good! Aim it at Victini's feet!"

"Not again!" Tony tried to get away, but Panpour had a keen eye. Tony was fast, but not fast enough to avoid the water spraying at his feet. Tony fumbled and tripped leaving him open to a full force Water Gun. "TONY!"

"And that's that." Cress clapped his hands together and flipped his bangs once again. Panpour let up on the Water Gun, leaving a struggling Tony behind. "Now, I suggest you quit."

"What?"

"Look at your pokemon." I did. He was getting up on shaking arms and a quaking figure. He only had one blue eye open, and I was feeling just as pained. "A part of being a trainer is knowing when to quit. Don't force me to hurt your pokemon any more than I have to."

"Tony..." I said as I looked into his cringing eye, and he stared back at me. Maybe I just wasn't ready for this gym. If I thought I was, maybe I was just jumping into it too quick. And maybe-

"_Bro!" _Tony called out. I looked at him to see him giving me a peace sign. I didn't know much then. I didn't know if I would win. I didn't know if I was ready for this. But one thing I did know was this.

Tony and I wouldn't back down.

_I got my pokedex in hand._  
><em>It's shining bright in the sun.<em>  
><em>And if I should lose my way somehow,<em>  
><em>I'll let luck choose my path.<em>

_(Tony gets on his feet, making Cress and Panpour gasp.)_

_The future's always on our minds,_  
><em>Wondering what we've got in store.<em>

"Tony! Use Quick Attack!"

_No matter what we find,_  
><em>We'll take it on,<em>  
><em>And face it together!<em>

"Panpour aim Water Gun at Victini's feet!"

_I won't say that it'll always go great._  
><em>But you've got the power inside of you!<em>  
><em>GO! GO! GOO!<em>

"YOU GOT THIS TONY!"

_(Tony's ears begin to spark, as well as his arms and legs.)_

_We're with you, YEAH!_  
><em>Together we'll STEP!<em>  
><em>Tomorrow we'll JUMP!<em>

_(Tony's body is surrounded in flames, and his speed inscreases. Enough to be faster than Panpour's Water Gun.)_

_I think we can soar up to they sky,_  
><em>And as far as we can fly,<em>  
><em>We'll be stronger, and win this war!<em>

"What?" Cress exclaimed with Panpour looking just as surprised. I was equally confused. I had no idea what was happening, but Tony was zigzagging with flames all over his body and running just outside Panpour's range.

_Forever YEAH!_  
><em>Together we'll STEP!<em>  
><em>Tomorrow we'll JUMP!<br>_  
>"No way!" Chili yelled from behind Cress. "That Victini learned Flame Charge!"<p>

"ALRIIIIGHT!" I cheered. "Then we're gonna use Flame Charge!"

_We're right in the moment now,_  
><em>Don't you back down,<em>  
><em>Use what you've found,<em>  
><em>And ride straight to the win!<em>

"Gah!" Cress lost his cool for the first time. I saw it in his face. Maybe it was because he didn't want to lose to a fire type and maybe he just didn't want to lose period, but he was starting to sweat. And when he did, I knew we were on the right path to victory. "Use Water Sport! Make the whole field an unstable terrain!" Water spouted from Panpour's head, making it rain over th whole field.

"Tony! Get in the air!" As Tony's speed increased, he flapped his two tails, ascending into flight and avoiding Water Sport's effect altogether. The only problem now was the fact that he was heading for a wall. And by now he was going too fast to fly as he normally would.

"Ha. That should be it!"

"Not yet Cress! Steer yourself using Confusion!" I was thinking on my feet. I didn't even know if this would work. But it did. And Tony surrounded himself with the glowing blue aura. And then, he became a living force of flame. He turned himself away from the wall, and furthermore, his speed was still increasing. He soared back, heading right for Panpour.

"No! Use Water Gun Panpour!"

"Dodge 'em Tony!" And he did. Using Confusion, Tony maneuvered himself between the shots of Water Gun, flipping, flying and gliding out of the way. Cress was trying to hide his frustration. He wasn't used to people like me, I guess.

I saw my opening. And I took it.

"Tony! Time to go! Get behind him and use Flame Charge with everything you got!"

"Dig!" Too late. Tony was too fast at this point. He flew right around Panpour and rushed him, knocking him into the air.

"Now Confusion!" Tony landed and focused on Panpour. Eventually the aura expanded around the primate and made him hover in midair. "Toss him!" As if by magic, Panpour was thrown towards the wall, landing with a thud. "Incinerate!" Tony and I were relentless. Panpour had no time to recover before Tony assaulted him with Incinerate.

"Panpour!"

"Wrap this thing up Tony! Use Flame Charge!" Tony charged all right. His body erupted in flames and he moved in. And as fast as he was, Panpour had no choice but to be bulldozed right into the wall once more. Upon impact, Tony flipped back and made peace signs to the crowd as Panpour fainted.

"The..The...The..." The referee was speechless, as were everyone else. They all had gaping mouths. The fangirls, Chili, Cilan, even Cress. But not me. I didn't a judge's declaration to know what just happened. My eyes widened and my ecstatic smile was right behind them. I ran towards Tony, who leaped right back at me. I caught him and held him in my outstretched hands.

"You did it little buddy! You were AMAZING!"

"_We did it! We did it! We did it!" _Tony hugged me and I hugged him back. He turned to the others while still in my arms and gave some more peace signs to my former opponents.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed as I mimicked my pal with my own peace sign. "V is for victory!"

"That was an unexpected turn of events." Cress said as he and his brothers approached me. All with varying shades of grins on their faces. Cress' was suave, Chili's was cocky and Cilan's was kind. Some things just don't change. "I must say. I've never lost to a fire type pokemon before. That Victini is something special."

"Oh, I know he is."

"Here." Cress held out his hand and my face got 'the look' once again. There it was. The Trio Badge. It was so brilliant. It's form composed of three consecutive diamonds. How each was had its own individual colour. Blue. Red. Green. My first gym badge. I took it with my still shaking hand.

"YES!" I declared as I posed to the heavens. "WE GOT THE TRIO BADGE!"

"_Hey Bro?" _Tony said, interrupting my victory proclamation. "_I'm hungry."_

* * *

><p>"So Bianca." I said to Bianca at the exit gate of Striaton City. The sun was orange in the sky once again and it provided the perfect backdrop for our parting ways. Tony sat on my shoulder, chowing down on his reward for winning the day. A big chocolate chip cookie. He was filled with joy. I could tell since he was singing a little ditty every few seconds. I could smell his cookie breath from there, but that's just a side note. "What's next for you?"<p>

"I'm going to Nacrene City. That's where White and Cheren are headed." Bianca replied with her chipper tone. "That was a great battle Black. You were amazing! The way you beat him with Flame Charge! But why didn't you use Fire Blast? Tony does know Fire Blast, right? Of course he does, what am I-"

"Don't ever change Bianca." I said with a smile.

"What about you?"

"I think we'll rest up at the pokemon center for one more night. That was a big battle."

"Sounds good. I guess I'll be seeing you, huh?"

"Yep. Seeya Bianca!" I waved to her as she ran backwards down the path, tripped and continued on. We waved until she was far out of sight, and Tony and I were on our own once again.

"_Hey Bro?" _I felt Tony's little arms and legs climb onto my head so he could look at me upside down again. "_Now I'm thirsty."_

"You would be wouldn't you?" I chuckled and turned around so we could head for the pokemon center. I hoped Tony wouldn't change either. It was that spunky spirit that got us our gym badge. And well, I just loved Tony. As long as things kept going like this. As long as he and I could travel together. And as long as Tony and I stayed friends, I hoped nothing changed. But that wasn't to be the case.

Because the next day, everything changed.

**End of Chapter Eight!**

**Well that's it for now people. Stay fabulous. **

**PS - Please keep sending in OC's!**

**PPS - The song was an english version of Hikari/Dawn's theme, By Your Side that I constructed myself. Not exactly accurate, but hey, I like it.  
><strong>


	9. Zack Attack

**Votes for what's in Black's egg are pretty slim. Votes are still being accepted and including the votes on the poll itself, currently in the lead is Spheal. Not by much, don't let that influence your vote. Votes are being accepted until the chapter it hatches, so keep sending them in please!  
><strong>

**Chapter 9: Zack Attack**

_My legs struggled to stay sturdy. I cringed with every step. My bare feet were streaked with blood and every step made me feel like I was walking on a bed of needles. The boiling sand beneath my feet rubbed into my wounds. And if the heat of the desert sands wasn't enough, the red hot sun was merciless. My skin burned and my throat screamed for moisture. The tattered and torn clothes I wore were hardly enough to keep my body from feeling the waves of heat that tortured my every nerve. Water was my only thought. I was so weak. My legs felt like jelly as they trudged through the sand. And my eyes...I had to make them squint. The sun was just too bright. I could barely breathe. And it was all too soon before I collapsed. My legs just refused to stay upright. My head was so woozy from heat stroke, I couldn't think. In fact in my stupor, I swear, I saw a shadow appear on top of me. But hey, what were the odds of that happening before I passed out?_

_And then everything went cold. _

_No seriously, the temperature suddenly went from unbearably hot to unbelievably freezing. That and I was suddenly standing up again. My eyes opened, and I found myself in the cold and desolate black void once again. I shivered as I stared at the only sight to see in this darkness. My own breath. Needles of ice punctured my body as goosebumps spread over my arms like wildfire. And it was getting even chillier by the second. Every moment, it felt as though a colder bucket of ice was being poured all over me. I could hear my teeth chattering and could even feel the tip of my nose freezing. _

_Thank God it all stopped, when I felt two things that were very familiar and very soft wrap around me. Warmth instantly found its way into my body. A comfortable heat built up in my skin and soon, it radiated into the rest of my form, down the arms, into the torso, and right through the legs. Ah, much better. _

"_You have grown, since I last spoke to you Black." The booming voice spoke in my ear as I felt the creature's breath on the top of my head. Yeah, even a hat wouldn't stop that intense gust of wind. "You are continuing your quest."_

"_I guess...there's really no point in trying to see who you are, is there?" I assumed, since trying that before never quite worked. The person chuckled. I didn't get the joke, but hey, the laugh wasn't maniacal or anything so it's not like I was concerned. I was just content that this person was keeping me warm in the dark abyss. I don't think I could've taken another second of cold. _

"_Black. I wish you could."_

"_And I wish I understood a word you say."_

"_You will Black. You will. Keep following your dream, and when you reach Nacrene City, that is where the journey truly begins. Good luck, my friend."_

"Gyah!" I awoke with a start. I breathed hard into the cold night air. My net bounced for a moment with the sudden activity as the trees around me appeared to be moving through my eyes. My wool blanket was coiled around my legs tightly, as if I'd been rolling around in my sleep. I groaned. All a dream. But that was a weird one. I'd never dreamt about being in the desert before. In fact, the only desert I know is the one on Route Four. And I've never even experienced heat like that before. But it felt so real, like a memory. Then I was back in the blackness and...I don't know.

It had been a day since I left Striaton City. But it had hardly felt like a few minutes before the sun set once again. I hadn't even reached the daycare that was supposed to be on this route. The region was bigger than I thought.

But still, I checked my X-Transceiver for the time. Five AM. Great. I let my head hit my pillow again, hoping to grab a few more winks. No luck. So with no other options, I decided to get an early start on the day. Even though it made my eyes feel heavy and my body want to go slack, I untied the net and packed up my stuff, before strapping on my hat grabbing my skateboard and heading onto the dirt road again. I yawned as the wind hit my face and gave me a wake up call.

It felt like hours before I saw anything besides this one pathway. Being a trainer was duller than I originally planned it to be. But still, I rode onwards. With my first gym win still fresh in my mind, there was still a spring in my step. Yeah, just seven more of those close calls and I'd be set.

Speaking of calls, just as the first sliver of light from the sun appeared on my path, I began to hear a beeping noise. I braked and looked around for the source. It got louder, and man it was annoying. It rattled in my ears like my own chattering teeth.

Well, it wouldn't get the heck out until I discovered just what it was. And I did. It was my X-Transceiver. It was actually ringing for the first time. I hit the answer button and clenched my teeth as Carol's face appeared on one side of the screen with mine on the other. Yipes, she looked mad.

"WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED?" My sister screamed through the video phone, nearly knocking my hat off from the sound wave. "YOU PROMISED YOU'D CALL WHENEVER YOU GOT TO A POKEMON CENTER! I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!"

"I-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT MISTER! WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN CALLING? WHY I OUGHT TO-"

It goes on like this for a while. I'll give you the short version. Carol yells at me for a bit, I say I'm sorry a million times, I tell her I forgot, she tells me to apologize, I tell her I already did, yadda yadda yadda.

"Sorry." I said for about the thousandth time. I wasn't even paying attention anymore. I was far more interested in a tree which slowly swayed in the wind. Ah. Peaceful.

"Well...I suppose I've chewed you out enough. So how's it going?"

"Sorry."

"Black. Focus." I shook my head rapidly.

"Sorry, what?"

"How's the journey going?"

"Oh awesome. Check it out." I kept the X-Transceiver in place with my left arm and shuffled around in my bag with the right. I brought out my badge case and snapped it open, getting it in position before the X-Transceiver. My face lit up as I began to brag about my accomplishment. "Check it out! One Gym Badge and I'm not even ten days into this thing. How 'bout that?"

"Pretty impressive kiddo. So, how many pokemon have you caught?"

"Three...technically."

"Technically?"

"Well...uh...one hates me...and the other two basically caught themselves." It was at that point I realized...I kinda sucked at this. Carol saw my face as I did so and simply giggled.

"It'll be fine little brother. What do I always say? When you focus, you do amazing things."

"Um...you've never said that."

"Because you never focus when I say it. Put two and two together. By the way."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you up so early? I expected to catch you snoozing."

"Oh...um...I had a...strange dream."

"Really? What was it about?" She didn't say that in passing. She wasn't just vaguely interested. She was genuinely concerned. like, me dreaming was a problem. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

"Um...well. It's all black, and absolutely freezing. And then, it feels like a couple blankets wrap me up. Then I get nice and warm, and I hear this weird voice and...I totally sound like a freak, don't I?"

"Not at all." She suddenly got serious. Her brow furrowed and she almost looked angry. A bead of sweat trickled down my face. I hated it when she got like that. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"You've had these dreams before."

"Huh? I have?"

"I guess it's no wonder you don't remember. You were just five. Let me guess, the voice always talks about it having been a long time, and about seeing you again, right?"

"Y-Yeah. How did you-?"

"You talked about the same stuff back then. But you didn't wake up early, oh no. I've never seen you more relaxed actually."

"Really? 'Cause when I wake up, I feel kinda creeped out."

"Yeah. In fact, you said those dreams were so great that you made me help you write them down so you wouldn't forget them."

"But I kinda did."

"Well that's obvious kiddo. Tell you what. Do you want me to send the papers you wrote to the Nacrene Pokemon Center? They can be there by the time you are."

"Hmmm." I considered it. After all, things in the dreams were changing up. Now it wasn't just the weird black void, I was seeing deserts too. And it was starting to get painful. I was still sweating from the heat of that dream sun. Then again, how much could my infantile dreams help me? And on the other hand, they were my only clue to this whole mess. And on yet another hand, I had to wonder if I was taking this too seriously. Maybe I was just being a drama queen about random dreams. I mean, how much can a dream hurt me? It's not like I should freak out over something I have no control over.

And yet, Carol looked on edge. She was really worried about me. Blood rushed to my face to make it go red as an apple. I hated it when she gave me her version of 'the look'. It made my conscience act up and I can never surpress that thing when Carol's involved. I grinned awkwardly and gave the one answer which would make her stop looking at me like that.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Alright then. You hurry over to Nacrene City. And make sure you tell me if you have any more of these dreams."

"Right." I lied. No way would I make her worry if it made her stare at me like she did. She gave me a wink and hung up, allowing me to groan in relief. This was officially ridiculous, I should be focusing on my waking dreams rather than the sleeping ones. My guess, they'd pass.

But enough about that. Because right around the time I started moving again, Tony's luxury ball snapped open. And my spunky little friend emerged, hanging onto my head as I rode my skateboard down the road. I really had to consider putting tape on that thing.

"_Mornin' Bro." _Tony yawned. "_We there yet?"_

"Not even halfway." I replied as I shuffled around for my map. I opened up the small DS-like device and turned it on. "According to this, we're still a few days away."

"_Oh." _Tony faked interest while scratching his ears with his feet again. "_Hey Bro, I'm hungry."_

"Well I guess it is time for break-" Scratch that. The sun was far above the horizon by now, and with its light, I saw it in the distance. Most people wouldn't get excited about what I saw, but I was pumped up. My heart leapt when I saw a wooden fence in my way, forcing the path to continue in a fork alongside it. I sped up. In heinsight, that might not have been the best idea since the road was riddled with potholes and I felt everyone as the ride got steadily bumpier. I barely had enough control before I hit the fence and tumbled over it. My nose was crushed between the grassy earth and my own face. Yowch. Tony wasn't so clumsy. After all, he could fly.

"_Are you okay Bro?" _Tony asked once he'd landed on my head again.

"Just peachy." I responded sarcastically while getting on my feet. I dusted myself off...only to be knocked flat on my back. I felt something round and large hit me in the stomach knocking me back into the fence. "GYAH!"

"_Let's play! Let's play! Let's play!" _I opened my eyes when my posterior hit the ground, and found my attacker. And to be honest, I really couldn't stay mad.

This thing was frighteningly cute. She was a tan-colored, dog-like pokemon. She had large eyes and a red nose, with her face covered by an abundance of cream fur. Her large ears had spiky lower extensions and her fur puffed about above her paws, and her back had a spiky black stripe. Her spiky tail was wagging and she was making an excited yipping noise. The pokemon leaped onto me, and with surprising strength, I was careened right onto my back. The puppy began licking my face and she kept saying the same two words, over and over.

"_Let's play! Let's play! Let's play!" _

"Well howdy there stranger." I looked up from this pokemon's yipping face for a second to see a...uh...mature woman walking towards me. You would be drawn away from the few wrinkles she had by her sparkling blue eyes. And you couldn't help but notice the fact that she was wearing a cowboy outfit. Seriously, she wore a red polo shirt with rough-looking jeans with a stetson to top it all off. She did have that country look about her. She even had the broad country grin, don't know if that's a staple, but I'm glad she wasn't mad that I was on her property. "Well would you look at that, looks like this Lillipup here found a friend in 'ya."

"Yeah. Guess you could say that." I replied as I started scratching the dog behind the ears, while simultaneously screaming inside. I think that pooch broke a rib. "She's a strong one."

"Wow, you can tell that she's a girl just from looking at her?"

"Huh? Yeah. Of course."

"Mind tellin' me how?"

"Well...it's obvious...i-isn't it?" I looked at the face of the Lillipup. I mean, just looking at her, I could tell she was a girl. She just looked...feminine. You know how when you look at a person you can just tell what gender they are? Well, it was just like that.

"So, you can tell a pokemon's gender just by lookin' at 'em?"

"Uh...yeah...can't everyone?"

"BA HA HA!" Well that answered that. But it was so weird. I couldn't understand though. It was plain as day. Wait...unless this was just like how I talked to pokemon while no one else could. I had to wonder how no one else had called me out on it. But...but...I didn't get it. It was just so natural. Now, seriously freaked out, I stood up as fast as I could and started laughing awkwardly with the woman.

"Ha ha. Just kidding." Boy, I'm a REALLY bad liar. My voice had gotten high pitched and everything. Lucky for me she was gullible and eating this up. "I uh...see Lillipups all the time. By now it's easy for me to see genders."

"Ah, now I see." Phew. Dodged a bullet. "Oh where are my manners? My name's Karena and I just happen to run this pokemon daycare."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" I found it hard to talk between Lilipup's wet tongue still persistent to lick my face and Tony trying to balance atop my head. But forget speaking, seeing was a joy all its own. Beyond the fence there were wide open fields, pokemon of all sorts frolicking around. The fence surrounded these grassy fields, giving the pokemon plenty of space to have some fun. This was it, the next landmark, the pokemon daycare. Where pokemon could be left and trained by the people on staff. "I'm sorry to ask, but could you check something out for me?"

"Why sure? What'll it be, mister...?"

"Oh, sorry, my name's Black. And I was wondering..." I set Lillipup down (who was more than content to start yipping at my legs) so I could open up my bag. From there, I carefully removed the egg case Axel gave me, big blue egg still inside of course. I had taken good care of that thing. Whatever hatched out of there, I wanted it to be healthy. I polished the shell every day so that thing would be nice and shiny when he or she was born. I made sure to keep it as warm as I could (sometimes sleeping with it to be honest). "...if you could check out this egg. I wanted to know if the pokemon in there is close to hatching."

"Oh you have an egg? Well why didn't you say so?" She said with a charming voice before deftly taking the case in her hands. This was the reason I wanted to be here. The pokemon daycare was known for finding pokemon eggs while their 'tenants' had been left in their care. And everyone knew that they had become professionals in the egg business. Some people in the pokemon center in Striaton City told me that those who ran the daycare could even tell when an egg was going to hatch down to the very second.

"Hmm. Yes, I see." My face lit up as she examined the egg in its case. She looked pretty pleased with what she saw. Maybe all these rumors were true. Even better, maybe my egg was gonna hatch soon! That would be pretty awesome. I waited in total suspense for her response, my fingers tingling in excitement. "Yep. I think I got it."

"REALLY? S-S-SO WHAT'S GONNA-"

"Yeah I can see that this egg isn't even close to hatching."

"Oh." I groaned, disappointed. She got my hopes up with her smile for nothing. I stopped holding my breath and took the egg back with open arms.

"Don't you worry about it none. These things take time Black. But just know that you're taking very good care of that egg. I can see it from here."

"Really?" The spark of hope reignited a little. Maybe I didn't suck as much as I thought.

"Yep. Keep those spirits up. I see a lot of good things coming your way."

"_Yay! Good things! Good things! Good things!" _I almost jumped out of my shoes. Tony had actually been quiet up until now. That never happened. Not ever.

"Well well, you've got yourself a pretty spunky pokemon there. He's pretty dang cute. Hey, sorry to cut this little meeting of ours short, but I've gotta get back to raising up this Lillipup. So if you'll excuse me-"

"Oh yeah! Sure thing! Sorry to keep you."

"It was no problem, be seeing you then." Karena gave me a wave, picked up Lillipup, who stared back at me the whole time with a wagging tail and wide mouthed smile, and walked away. I could've watched her walk all the way to the other side of the pen, but hey, I've got a schedule to keep. I jumped over the fence again, so as not to be bombarded by any more Lillipups and proceeded to move on. Well, I did after my map told me to take a right. So I got on my board once again and started riding into the farmlands. May have been a mistake, in heinsight. After all, it did smell of fertilizer. Why was this a bad thing? Well...

"_Urrrrrrrf!" _Tony moaned in discomfort. He really didn't like that smell. In fact, he was going out of his way, or in this case mine, to avoid it. First he tried covering his nose, but when that didn't work, he climbed onto my shoulder. Then, with surprising speed he unzipped my jacket a little and hopped in.

"Hey what're you-?"

"_Ahhhh." _Tony said in relief before answering. "_This thing smells like food."_

"You...You don't say?" I facepalmed. I knew I should be used to Tony's behaviour by now, but I just couldn't stomach it. I guess it was my own fault. Shouldn't have spilled ketchup on my jacket I guess.

"Hey look out!" Uh oh. I had just facepalmed and therefore wasn't paying attention to the road. I looked up, just in time to see I was about to crash into someone. I tried braking but it was far too late. I careened off my skateboard for the second time in the same ten minutes, landing on my face once again. And once again, Tony had escaped just in time by leaping out of my jacket and flying away. But the moment I sat up again, nursing my crushed face (seriously, my nose would need surgery after this) he landed in my jacket again, as if nothing had happened. Easy for him to think. My nose felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer.

"HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING 'YA JERK!" I turned my head over my shoulder and cringed. Because the person I'd just hit was getting up. And he was none too happy.

The young man looked around my age. And when I compared our hats, I found we had another thing in common, since he too had a baseball cap with a pokeball symbol on it. Though his sat atop a head of black hair whereas mine was brown. His inverted, angry black eyes glared at me with a passion, and I swear I saw an urge to kill somewhere in there. His fashion sense could be considered normal for a traveller with the jeans, black t-shirt and grey sneakers. THough one could question the red poofy vest.

"Uh...sorry man."

"DON'T YOU INSULT ME WITH YOUR APOLOGIES! WHY I OUGHTA-! Hey that's a pokemon, isn't it?"

"Look I just...huh?" That was a mood swing. His expression just went from angry to interested in just a couple seconds. Tony was smiling as he sat in my jacket, his ears twitching with excitement at the thought of meeting someone new. Looks like Tony had some competition in this deparment.

"Yeah. Looks pretty weak though."

"Say what?"

"_Say what?" _Tony suddenly got angry. See what I mean? These two could go at it for hours if you ask me. Wait...was Tony just talking like me? Huh, there were some odd things to this trainer stuff. Y'know, besides talking to pokemon and knowing their genders just by looking at them.

"I'm just sayin', doesn't look too strong. You must not do a good job."

"HEY! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW ME AND TONY JUST GOT OUR FIRST GYM BADGE FROM THE STRIATON CITY GYM! TAKE A LOOK!" I brought out my badge case as fast as I could and opened it up wide. The boy cringed and took a step back.

"S-So you have one badge. So what? I got one too!" The boy reached into his vest and took out a badge case of his own. Though unlike mine, which was a nice navy blue, this one was of a sparkling red colour. He opened it up wide and I had to gulp. In the second slot of the badge case sat a purple badge. It was rectangular, and almost shaped like he spine of a book. "Check it out! The Basic Badge from Nacrene City!"

"Ha! That just proves we're even!"

"HEY THAT DOESN'T...No wait, I guess you're right. You got a badge, I got a badge, guess that means we're equal in strength." He talked rather fast when he calmed down. Oh good, that would just make the road to his insane rantings that much shorter.

"There y'see?"

"Yeah. Only one way to prove who's stronger now." The boy ran away from me for a few feet (making me sigh in relief before my hopes were dashed) and then turned around. He unstrapped a pokeball from his belt and showed it to me. "My name is Zack! And I challenge you to a battle! Two on two!"

"Huh? You want to battle now?"

"Yeah! I've made it a rule to battle at least one person per day! That way I'll be the strongest I can be. So please, if you could battle me, that would be great." Zack bowed respectively to me and I blinked at him. Okay, Cilan and Tony would always be the wierdest people I've ever met, but he came in at a close third. No wait, if I count Bianca, he was fourth.

"Okay! If you insist! Tony, I choose you!"

"_Yay! Battle! Battle! Battle!" _Tony tried doing his dance while still in my jacket and ended up hitting me in the ribcage with his foot before stepping out onto the battlefield.

"Ha! This should be easy! Arcane!" He tossed his pokeball and let it snap open. The light pulsed, emerged and formed into one odd pokemon. At first I thought he was spherical pokemon possessing two cyan eyes, with a third on an appendage on top of his head. But he also had four wing-like growths around his body, and two small spikes at his base. Wait...that thing looked like...a thing. And yet I was still able to determine his gender. That...That freaked me out even more. So much so that I didn't notice Zack beginning the battle.

"Arcane! Use Psywave!" The pokemon's eyes began to glow, and suddenly, multiple rings of purple energy formed at them. And before I snapped out of my confused stupor, he launched them right at Tony. But luckily, I got focused just in time. Just like Carol told me. Focus.

"Tony! Use Flame Charge to get out of the way!" Tony's body sparked up in flames as he moved to escape the assault of Arcane's Psywave attack, his speed increasing every second as he moved towards the totem pole-esque pokemon. I shuffled around for my pokedex and once I found it, I gave this mystery pokemon a quick scan.

"_**Sigilyph. The Avianoid Pokemon. A Sigilyph will use its psychic powers to attack anyone who invades its territory. Due to it retaining memories from when it guarded an ancient city, it apparently flies along the same route constantly."**_

"Sigilyph 'eh? Psychic and Flying type? Alright then. Tony! Get in the air while still using Flame Charge! Then steer yourself with Confusion like before!"

Tony jumped, still surrounded by fire. His tails flapped and he rocketed into the sky, aiming towards Arcane. But he was ready for me.

"Arcane use Air Cutter!" Arcane flapped his wings just once and suddenly sharp air currents began flying right towards us. Tony tried using Confusion to maneuver, but unlike Panpour's Water Gun, this attack was too widespread to dodge. Tony was struck in the head and was knocked flat on his back. "Ha! Now use Psywave!"

"Tony! Counter it using Confusion!" Tony opened his eyes up wide. And as the waves of psychic energy flew towards him, he sent out his own psychic attack. The purple rings of energy were soon wrapped in a blue aura. And when they ceased flying towards Tony, my buddy made them take a U-turn and go right back to their owner.

"AH!" Zack was starting to panic, which meant now was my chance.

"Tony! Flame Charge!" While Zack was distracted by the Psywave returning, Tony moved in, his body shooting up in flames once again. This time when he leapt up, he was able to score a direct hit to Arcane's spherical body. "YES!"

"Gyah! Arcane! Fight back using Hypnosis!" Arcane's eyes began to glow and before I could warn Tony to look away, he was drawn into the attack. Once his body had released the flames that had scorched the enemy, his eyes began to shut. And it wasn't long before he hit the earth, snoring away.

"Crud! Tony wake up!" No good. I forgot. Tony was a pretty heavy sleeper.

"HA! Looks like I win! Arcane use Air Cutter!" Arcane flapped his wings once more, and this time even stronger currents came out. They blasted at Tony, who stood no chance at dodging. He was shot into the air, and despite the beating he just took, Tony was still asleep. I had to think of something. Something that would wake Tony up, something he couldn't do without. Wait...that was incredibly obvious.

"Hey Tony! You hungry?"

"_Yeah Bro! Yeah! Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!" _Tony snapped himself awake and started dancing around in midair. That was Tony for you.

"What the heck?"

"Okay Tony! After the battle, it's lunchtime! So let's use Incinerate!"

"No you don't! Fight back with Air Cutter!" Tony blasted fire while Arcane blasted wind. The two attacks clashed, and the resulting explosion sent both parties flying towards their trainers. I caught Tony, but Zack wasn't so lucky. Arcane fell on him and he collapsed. One look at Tony told me all I needed to know. Both pokemon had fainted.

"That's it?" Zack asked more to the pokemon than to me. While getting off his behind of course. "That was short."

"It's not over yet Zack! This battle's two on two." I returned Tony to his luxury ball, making a mental note to keep my promise to him later about lunch.

"Yeah! You're right!" Zack brought out Arcane's pokeball and returned the desert-dwelling pokemon before bringing out his second pokeball. "Alright then! I choose Vincent!" He tossed the ball and what emerged made me have 'the look' for about the thrtieth time that week.

Zack had released a much larger version of Joel. Except that was an understatement. This yellow spider had two very large front mandibles, like Joel's incisors all grown up. The hide on his abdomen looked extremely thick with purple pattern designs here and there. The underside was almost completely purple. Also, this thing had two more ocelli than Joel. Weird. But I just had to bring out my pokedex for this, it was too cool.

"_**Galvantula, the EleSpider Pokémon. And the evolved form of Joltik. Galvantula attacks its prey by shooting electrically charged threads and its front mandibles can hold down opponents."**_

"An evolved version of Joel, huh? Okay, then I guess it's only fitting that I choose..." I snatched a pokeball from my belt and tossed it. "...you Joel!"

The pokeball burst open and the traditional white energy came out. Only to form into Joel...who was sleeping again.

"COME ON JOEL!" I shouted. This was getting ridiculous. He may be sorry for it, but he never quite tries to fix it. He woke up and started scrambling as usual, and again as usual...

"_Sorry. Sorry. I'm really sorry."_

"It's alright Joel." I sighed. "But we've got a battle here. Joel nodded to me and clacked his incisors, seemingly overjoyed that I chose him for this. Of course, when he turned around there were other things on his mind.

"_Uhhhhh...Uhhhhhh." _Joel's legs were wobbling. Just seeing his evolved form standing there was too much for him. He was scared stiff.

"Come on Joel! He may be bigger, but I know you can do this!"

"_R-R-R-Right. O-O-Of course!" _Joel replied. I wondered if this was a good again what choice did I have? I had a water type which wouldn't do much good as well as a Snivy that was out for my blood. This was really the only way I could go.

"Pfffft!" Zack was laughing his head off as Joel faced off against Vincent. That guy could really be rude when he wanted to be. "You're goin' up against Vincent with that runt? Alright, let's get this over with!"

"Grrr. Don't judge a book by its cover! For example, Joel start off with Agility!" Joel's legs started moving fast, even becoming blurs as he dashed down the dirt road.

"Vincent! Signal Beam!" Pink energy began to build up between Vincent's mandibles, and faster than lightning, (no pun intended) shot the bug type beam at the speeding Joel. Joel didn't see it coming and was blasted backwards. He landed on his head, his legs dangling in the air.

"Oh no!"

"Oh yeah! Vincent! Signal Beam once more!"

"Joel! Use...uh...grrr." I was stuck. Joel didn't know that many diverse moves. And yet that Galvantula was pretty dang experienced. I mean, all I had was Spider Web, Agility, Electro Web and Electro Ball. None of which would get him right side up in time. "Hmm. Can't use my moves...Hey that's it! Joel rock back and forth and hit that signal beam with Electro Ball!" That Signal Beam was moving in fast, but Joel wouldn't stop. He rocked, gaining momentum with every swing. And when he was at the height of his rocking, he shot Electro Ball just in time to hit Signal Beam. The two energies collided, and although Signal Beam won out the resulting shock wave of the two attacks was enough to send Joel flying again.

"What?"

"Joel! Fire off Electro Ball! One more time!" Joel built up the energy much faster this time and fired it at his evolved pier.

"You use Electro Ball too!" No matter how speedy Joel was at charging power, Vincent was faster. When the spheres hit each other, Joel's was like a fly to it. Vincent's Electro Ball burst through it, as if it was an open door and hit Joel dead on, like he was a bull's eye. Joel turned into a meteor, slamming into the earth and making his own little crater. Joel struggled, but he was still ready to roll.

"Come on Joel."

"I think this match is just about over. Let's get ready for the win Vincent."

"Hmph!" I was worried, but not deterred. Just because he had evolved, Zack thought he was sure to win. But Joel...he was determined. And so was I. "Come on Joel. Don't stop now. Use Agility!"

"Okay. You keep trying, can't win too quick. Use Signal Beam!"

"Dodge it Joel!" Joel jumped. And a surprised Vincent couldn't keep up. Joel was agile enough to land on the tarantula's abdomen. Vincent tried to shake him off but Joel was still determined. He spat Spider Web onto Vincent's back, just to create proper footing. "Come on Joel!"

"You can't win!"

"Au contraire! I'm unbeatable!"

_Black:_ _Ooooooh eh oh!_  
><em>I'm unbeatable!<em>

_(Joel uses Bug Bite on Vincent's abdomen, making the larger spider flinch in pain.)_

_Walking down this endless highway!_  
><em>Nothing but my friends beside me!<em>  
><em>We'll never give in,<em>  
><em>We'll never rest!<em>  
><em>Advanced battle is the ultimate test!<em>  
><em>From the earth, the land,<em>  
><em>The sea, and sky,<em>  
><em>They can never win,<em>  
><em>But they sure can try!<em>

_(Vincent manages to shake Joel off, firing Signal Beam at Joel.)_

_Zack: __Ooooooh eh oh!_  
><em>I'm unbeatable!<em>  
><em>Ooooooh eh oh,<em>  
><em>I'm undefeatable!<em>  
><em>From the stars in the ancient past,<em>  
><em>They come to play but they'll never last!<em>

_(Joel dodges Signal Beam after Signal Beam, and when an opening is seen, he uses Agility to get around Vincent and latch onto his leg.)_

_Black and Zack: __Ooooooh eh oh!_  
><em>I'm unbeatable!<em>  
><em>Ooooooh eh oh!<em>  
><em>I'm undefeatable!<em>  
><em>You think you'll win,<em>  
><em>But soon you'll see!<em>  
><em>You may beat some,<em>  
><em>But you can't be me!<em>

_(Joel uses Bug Bite and begins to sap the electricity out of Vincent Vincent tries to use his other legs to knock Joel off to no avail.)_

_Black: __I'm undefeatable!_

_There's a feeling deep inside me,_  
><em>And it's always there to guide me!<em>  
><em>It's in my heart and in my soul,<em>  
><em>Leading me to the ultimate goal!<em>  
><em>You can try your best this might be fun,<em>  
><em>You'll go down in defeat before you've begun!<em>

_(Joel is knocked off, and the two bugs face off again.)_

_Ooooooh eh oh,_  
><em>I'm unbeatable!<em>  
><em>Ooooooh eh oh,<em>  
><em>I'm undefeatable!<em>  
><em>Every move each attack you choose,<em>  
><em>You think you can win but you'll always lose!<em>

_(The two use Electro Ball. Vincent, in a weakened state, has weakened power. The two attacks match each other equally and an explosion of electrical energy is made, knocking the two away from each other.)_

_Black and Zack: __OOOOOOEEEEHHOOOH! Advanced battle!_  
><em>I'm unbeatable!<em>

_(Both pokemon drop.)_

"Joel!" I exclaimed, running towards my little guy. I scooped his bristly body into my hands, hoping he was okay. Luckily, he opened his eyes halfway, and clacked his incisors together, showing me how happy he was to have fought that battle. "You were awesome buddy. Way to play!"

I grabbed Joel's pokeball and warped him inside. He deserved a rest. After all, he just took down his own evolved form. Sure, it ended in a draw, but all the same. He was getting a lot stronger. He'd come a long way from being almost eaten by Sandiles.

"Aw man!" I heard Zack yell as he returned Vincent to his pokeball. "Oh well, guess yours wasn't as runty as I thought."

"Yep. You weren't too bad yourself."

"But that was really intense! Thanks for battling with me." Zack suddenly approached me, and faster than you could say 'What the hell?' he was shaking my hand with both of his. "We should do it again sometime. Say, are you going for the Unova league too?"

"Well, yeah. What do you think I got the badge for?"

"So you want to be the champion? Well you're gonna have to go through me!"

"Yeah. Or we tie again."

"Heh. Heh. Let's get one thing straight. I may have tied with you today, but next time, victory's all mine! I'll get the Trio Badge and then I'll find you again! GET READY FOR DEFEAT!" And with those last words, Zack ran off, kicking up a cloud of smoke in his wake.

_That guy needs to stop mood-swinging on me. _I thought to myself. _Seriously, Snivy's more predictable than that guy. _

Hey, speaking of Snivy, I really should've found a way to keep her under control, I guess. I brought her pokeball into the palm of my hand, and stared at it as I got back on my skateboard. She was a problem. The problem being, I really did want things to work out between me and this pokemon. But she was the only one of my pokemon I couldn't understand. That, and she was the only pokemon I had actually caught through battling.

It was frustrating, and I was so focused on my problem with her that I barely noticed that I had made it into a small farming town. Luckily the sidewalk was mostly empty so I didn't crash into anyone. But something did catch my eye between these small wooden houses. Something familiar, something I never wanted to see again. My eyes were drawn away from Snivy's pokeball, if only for me to sneer at what I saw in the shadows of the miniature alleyway. How could I not? No one could mistake that fashion sense for something else.

"Alicia." I said to myself.

**End of Chapter Nine!**

**Well, there we are people. Hope you enjoyed this very important chapter and-**

**Black: IT WAS FILLER!**

**So's ninety percent of the anime, but you don't see me crying about that. Keep sending in OC's and votes people! Not done with 'em yet!**

**See y'all later!  
><strong>  
><strong>Next chapter: Alicia's Quest<strong>


	10. Alicia's Quest

**Review Responses: xXCookieGiverXx - Votes are still on.**

**CitrineEmerald - No comment. Really.  
><strong>

**ZXCVBNMEM - Indeed it is. Indeed it is.**

**The Observer 00 - Thanks for the many props and reviews. Trust me, I don't mind at all.**

**AngelicWings24 - Thank you for that review. I don't mind long ones. Actually, I like them a lot. And thank you, I thought I might have made Tony too strong, so thanks for that reassurance (that also goes for The Observer 00). Thanks for the negative bits as well, trust me, I know how important that balance is, and I guess I was a little too lenient with myself. So thank you.**

**Professor Yuki: Oh don't worry, we'll be seeing him again soon.**

**harison86: Sorry, one OC per customer. And I already one of those characters if you know who I I'm talking about, and I think you do (not that I plan to bring it up at any point). Sorry, but pokemorphs require a story of their own. It would distract from the main focus I'm afraid.**

**(Oh, spoilers by the way) I'm assuming everyone is okay with contests in this story? I haven't gotten complaints against it, so I guess I'll be using them. Awesome.**

**LET'S DO IT!**

**Chapter 10: Alicia's Quest**

_What the heck is she doing here? _I thought to myself before ducking around the nearest building so she wouldn't see me. Good thing too, I think she was about to turn her head. Once I was sure that I was out of sight, I poked my head around the corner to see Alicia doing the same against her hiding spot across the porch of this blue-painted house. Whatever she was doing, she certainly didn't want to be seen. And I was instantly curious at what she could be looking at. Huh, if I didn't know better, I'd say she was avoiding someone.

"What'cha doin'?" I almost jumped out of my shoes. Whoever said that was right behind me and really didn't appreciate the concept of stealth. I turned around in a frightened panic, backing myself up against the wall. When I saw that it wasn't a fire breathing dragon about to rip my head off, I exhaled deeply in relief. Granted, that's ridiculous, but it's always a spur the moment type thing with me when I was surprised.

No, it wasn't a fire breathing lizard. It was a girl. Admittedly, a cute girl. The broad and happy grin on her tan-skinned face would attest to that. Of course, her shining brown eyes and dark black hair didn't hurt that fact either. She obviously traveled, considering the clothes she wore. Her head was adorned with a red baseball cap which matched her elbow length hoodie. The rest of her outfit went for a whole dark motif, since she wore black boots along with her black shorts and dark blue tank top.

"Uh nothing!" I replied with an extremely high voice. I really hoped this girl hadn't seen me looking at Alicia. I didn't need 'stalker' added to the list of reasons why people might think I was crazy. But just out of curiosity, I took another look around the corner. Drat! I'd lost her. I sighed. She was obviously up to no good. I wouldn't put robbing another pokemon center past her. That girl just gave me a weird vibe.

"Oh? Then what're you lookin' at?" She asked with a cheery and bubbly voice. I looked back at her, finding a curious and suspicious face looking back at me. She had an odd grin on her face, almost smug even. "Weren't spying on someone were you?"

"_Yeah, were you?" _I blinked when I heard that second voice. It sounded...I dunno, immature. I looked around, but found no discernible source. But I was in for another jump of surprise when a small creature appeared over her shoulder. After I leapt back, I once again saw nothing to fear. It was a pokemon. A tiny pale yellow pokemon that could probably stand in the palm of my hand. His fur looked incredibly short, though his large black-tipped ears looked a little thicker. He also had additional black markings around his neck and all over his tail. The tail itself was tiny, but still seemed to resemble a lightning bolt. His nose was extremely small, almost like a dot, and his pink cheeks wrapped this creature with petite arms and feet in a tight bundle of cuteness.

"N-No! I wasn't! I was just-"

"Uh-huh. I've got you figured out now. Spying on the competition, huh?"

"No! Really! She and I have just-wait what?" I was about to sputter on and maybe unintentionally make myself sound like even more of a creep. But luckily, she was mistaken and I was able to stop myself. "What competition?"

"Don't play dumb now. You're here for the pokemon contest too, right? See? Look, those guys are too." She pointed around the corner once again. And I, too confused for words followed her pointing finger to see what the heck she was blabbering on about. Huh. That's odd. A couple trainers were on the sidewalk about ten feet away. They appeared to be feeding their pokemon (a Patrat and a Venipede) what looked like colourful candies. They were square-shaped and the pokemon seemed to really enjoy them. "I get it. You wanted to see if you could figure out what pokeblock recipes they use. Take it from me, it's always best to come up with your own."

"Okay, what are you talking about? I don't know what a pokeblock is! I'm not sure what kind of recipe you're talking about! And I especially have no idea what a contest is!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A CONTEST IS?" Suddenly, she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of my hiding spot. I walked along with her, if only not to get my arm torn clean off. She was lugging me along, drawing the eyes of nearly every person on the way. And weirder still, not a soul stopped this. "I guess it shouldn't be surprising."

"Why not?"

"Contests are a new thing here in Unova. In fact, the very first Unova contest is happening in this town today! It was selected from a random drawing! It's the only reason I'm here, really!"

"Yeah. And who are you exactly?"

"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself again? I'm Jennie! I'm a pokemon coordinator! And a trainer too, but who really cares about that, right?"

"So what's a pokemon coordinator?"

"A kind of trainer who does contests. Contests are a lot different from battles, because-hey we're here! Awesome!" I gasped. I'd been so focused on the conversation, I hadn't noticed it before. We were approaching the least likely thing to come out of this small town. Keep in mind that every other building we passed along the way was small, wooden and...well...quaint if I may say so. But this thing was just everything this place wasn't. It was grand. It was over the top. It was a contest hall.

The building was obviously an arena. Concrete steps with a red carpet led up to a pair of gigantic automatic glass doors. Speaking of the doors, they were merely the forefront to the hall itself. It was like a colosseum, perfectly round with a roof of perfect yellow. The walls were navy blue, and perfectly circular to make this whole building look as elegant as could be. Oh, not to mention the enormous jumbo-tron just above the entrance with the words 'POKEMON CONTEST' blazened across it.

"Whoa. Nice." I said in disbelief as I stared at this beautiful thing. Whatever a pokemon contest was, it had to be huge if we were judging by this place alone. I'd go inside and explore...but really, what does go my way these days?

"Excuse me?" I heard another female voice say behind me. Me and this Jennie turned around for the moment to see an even more odd girl than her. But it didn't look that way from the start. In fact, she looked rather normal to me. What with the skirt, the T-shirt and sneakers. But all that changed when she spoke again. "Have you seen him?"

"Seen who?" Jennie asked.

"YOU DON'T KNOW? He's the guest judge for the first Unova contest!"

"Who're you talkin' about?" I asked this time. She was obviously a fangirl, I knew how to recognize their kind well enough after my first gym badge. But I couldn't fathom who she was pining over.

"What? YOU STILL DON'T KNOW? IT'S THE CONTEST MASTER HIMSELF! JOHTO'S SHOOTING STAR!"

"Uh...who?"

"Bah! You're useless you are! Excuse me, sir!" She ran past us at the speed of light, moving over to the next poor sap who came her way. I saw him now. He was walking just a few feet away, wearing a deep brown trench coat and fedora, making it hard to see his face. I had to question that fashion choice, considering the weather. It was way too hot out for this. Yet, I swear. As I looked below the fedora, I swear I could've seen that guy's glasses once before. Oh well, must've been my imagination. The man in the fedora shook his head and it looked like the girl was about to clock him for a second before moving on to the next one. Okay, the trench coat was bothering me at this point. Normally I wouldn't care about other people's business, but this was just conspicuous. Plus, this guy just looked suspicious all around.

"Pardon me sir!" That wouldn't stop Jennie I guess. She had finally let go of my arm. And good thing too, her grip made my forearms ache. I was barely listening to the conversation while I nursed my bruises. "Do you know who she was talking about?"

"Why yes madam. I do." The man responded in a gruff voice that almost made me scared of him. No really, this guy sounded direct out of a mobster movie. "The info was just leaked that he'd be making a guest appearance at this contest. They even say that he'll be the opening act."

"Yeah, cool. But who is he?"

"Why that's a mighty strong looking Pichu you got there. You must train him every day." I blinked. That was odd. He was sure to change the subject fast. And even more odd, he sounded really convincing.

"_Aw, thanks for noticing!" _The Pichu replied as he waved back at this man, cute as could be.

"Pichu, huh?" I hadn't heard of that pokemon. At least with the others I had to use the pokedex for, I actually had heard of them. But I couldn't, for the life of me, think of a Pichu on the list of pokemon I know. I grabbed my pokedex and took a quick scan for curiosity's sake.

"_**Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. And the pre-evolved form of Pikachu. Despite their size, Pichu release bursts of electricity that can shock even humans. However, Pichu are unskilled at controlling their electricity, and sometimes release it by accident when surprised, or when laughing and shock themselves."**_

"_I'm sorry." _I heard Pichu's voice again and snapped to attention, only to start sweating and clench my teeth. That Pichu was giving me a look. And not just any look. It was an 'if looks could kill' look. He was sneering, snickering, and (I from what I could see) was plotting his revenge as we speak. "_But did you just say I was...unskilled?"_

"What? No it was the pok...I mean...uhhhhh..." Great. Not only was I getting the stink eye from a Pichu, I couldn't freak out about it because I'd also have to admit to talking to pokemon. Gulp. I already had one psycho pokemon on my hands, I didn't need another.

"You'll have to forgive my little friend here." Jennie clasped Pichu in her hands, forcing the rodent to try and squirm out of her grip so he could probably claw my eyes out. "He just hates it when people say that he's unskilled...or weak...or anything bad really."

"You...You don't say."

"Oh yeah. But don't worry. Deep down he knows he's a sweet thing. Don't you?" She looked down upon her little partner, who gave her back a wide-mouthed grin. For a moment I thought hostilities had ceased but hey who'm I kidding, right? The moment she looked away, he was back to leering at me. Remind me why I loved pokemon again please.

"So yeah, back to business." Jennie turned back to the man in the trench coat, Pichu still in her hands, thankfully. "Who is this guest judge? I wanna know!"

"Oh you'll know him when you see him, I'm sure. Don't know much about the boy myself. Anyway, young lady and gentleman, you should get in there if you want to compete. Registration's closing soon."

"Oh, I'm not competing actually." I was just able to put that in before Jennie got hyper again. That girl is quick, I'll give her that.

"I AM! I GOTTA HURRY! THANKS MISTER!" Jennie screeched just before her legs became a blur. She charged up the staircase like a bull, leaving nothing but a flurry of wind in her wake. I let out a sigh of relief. It's not that I didn't like her. I just needed a break from people that peppy. Between her and Bianca, I had my work cut out for me.

"So. Not too into pokemon contests are you son?" I looked back at the mystery man who seemed to know more than he let on.

"Well, that depends. I don't even know what a contest is."

"Oh you don't do you? Well, I'd be happy to explain if you're interested."

"Yeah! Please do!"

"Alrighty then. Pokemon contests are much different than ordinary battles. You see, contests are composed in tournament style. However, the priority of contests is not to be stronger than the opponent. The main goal in a contest is to show off the beauty and grace of the pokemon using one or a combination of moves."

"Really? Huh. That really is different."

"Yes. I quite enjoy them myself. The first rounds aren't even battling rounds. They're appeal rounds, showcasing the compatibility between the coordinator and the pokemon through the usage of their moves. The judges hand out points during these rounds. And the eight coordinators with the highest points move onto round two, the battling round. Wherein the pokemon try to make themselves look better and the opponent look worse. A point system is used during these battles. If you run out of points it's all over. And if you have less points after the time limit is up, it's all over as well."

"Yikes. Time limit? Sounds complicated."

"Oh it is. But once you're good enough, you can come up with combinations on the fly and an endless track of beauty is created, all the way to the grand prize of any contest. The ribbon. I'd say more, but believe me, it's always better to watch and see for yourself rather than letting someone else describe it to you."

"Wow. Cool. Maybe I should check it out." I paused. I was planning on going in anyway, but after that whole number, I was just intrigued. I was about to head in there, score a top-notch seat when something hit me. This trench coat guy. Something sure was...familiar. I didn't get it. It was definitely the glasses, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. "Say, have we met before? Something tells me we..."

"BWAHAHAHA!" I stepped back a bit. The man broke out laughing. And just as quickly as he started, he stopped. Is there anyone in my world who isn't weird? "No sir, I don't believe we have. It's been good to meet you though. Be seeing you."

The man tipped his hat to me and began walking up the stairs. You know, for a guy in a trench coat, he sure was running pretty fast. I mean, just look at his silver ponytail. It was flapping around in the breeze as he breezed toward the contest hall. To add to the weirdness, he didn't even go through the doors. He walked around the hall. Wait...silver ponytail? Oh crud, I did know who that was. I shuffled up the stairs as fast as I could. He was weird all right. So weird, he's awesome. Just trust me on this. I dashed to the right side of the doors, hoping to catch up any way I could. But no matter how hard I tried, I didn't see his coat tails just around the corner. I sped up. I had to tell him. I had to tell him about Alicia. If anyone could handle her, it was him.

But on the other hand, I was running out of breath. My lungs were inflating and deflating faster than my brain could keep up. Pretty soon, after I'd completed a full circle and a half of the building, I just gave out. Next time, I should really use my skateboard for these things. When I recovered by at least half, my luck took yet another blow to the face. Or maybe that was just me. Because, y'know, I was suddenly hit in the face and knocked over by a rubber ball that hit me with the force of a freight train. I hit the contest hall's wall on the descent, and I swear, I've never before had blows on both the bottom and top of my head at the same time. I got up in a daze, wondering what kind of maniac just slugged me with a rubber ball.

"Whoops. You okay, mister?" I shook my head clear of confusion when the high-pitched voice piped up out of nowhere. I got up and dusted myself off. Not that it would get the dirt out or anything. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." I replied to the little boy, who looked no older than eight. Brown hair, big blue eyes, broad grin, all around typical kid. But the non-typical thing was what was next to him. A pokemon. The trouble is, I found it strange that even _I _recognized him as a pokemon. And his gender to boot. He looked like a trash bag. With teeth...and eyes...and feet...and arms that looked like trash. And oddly enough...it looked cute. I'm serious, he was pretty adorable for a trash bag. "Quite an arm you got."

"Oh, that wasn't me. That was my friend Trubbish." The little boy said, placing a hand on the top of this 'Trubbish's' head. The Trubbish smiled. "We were playing."

"Huh. I've heard of Trubbish." I brought out my pokedex for a moment. I noticed the boy's eyes light up when I go tit and hit the scan button. I recognized that look. Mostly because it was my look. THE look.

"_**Trubbish, the Trashbag Pokémon. Trubbish prefer to live in dirty places like garbage dumps. It is said they were born when a chemical reaction occurred between an abandoned trashbag and industrial waste."**_

"Gotcha. Pretty cool friend you have here."

"Yeah Trubbish is the best!" The boy hugged the Trubbish who returned it in full. "Yeah! When I'm old enough, me and Trubbish are gonna go on our own journey! I want to be a coordinator!"

"Really? Cool. That's a dream worth following!"

"Thanks. Hey! I just realized! You've got a pokedex! Does that mean you're a coordinator?"

"Nope. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm a trainer. Guess that must be boring to you, huh?"

"No way! I like trainer battles too. I wanted to be one for a while."

"Oh? Why the change?"

"Well...I guess it's because people are always makin' fun of Trubbish." Trubbish looked to the earth. Depressed. "They always say he's ugly. And that he smells bad. But I'm gonna prove 'em all wrong! Trubbish and I are gonna win all the contests! And we'll show 'em how cool Trubbish really is!"

"Awesome! You and Trubbish are really great friends, huh? Good for you." Man, I never thought I'd be the one saying these kinds of things. I thought I sounded like an experienced trainer already. Well, to me anyway. "Trust me. If you're good friends, the two of you can do anything. Just take a look at this." I fumbled around in my bag for a moment before finding my badge case. I snapped it open and showed the boy, whose eyes lit up with amazement. I love this trainer business. "My friends and I worked hard for this badge. And I don't think we could have got it if we weren't so tight with each other."

"Wow! COOL! Hey can I-"

Enough of that. Like I said, I've got multiple reasons to love this trainer business. But the reasons to hate it are just as plentiful. Before I could even hope to react, Trubbish was separated from the boy by a net. It ensnared the trash pokemon faster than lightning, making him blink in surprise before the net was pulled backwards, dragging the boy's amigo along with it.

"HEY!" I shouted after him. The boy was too shocked to react, but I wouldn't hesitate. I knew only one person who''d steal a pokemon right in front of someones eyes. She'd done it before, letting me watch from a window, after all. Alicia stood twenty feet away, pulling the Trubbish towards her using a rope. Still wearing that outfit that had to be ridiculously warm. I rushed past the boy, hoping to grab the net and maybe take Trubbish back. After all, what could go wrong, right?

"You fell for it!" Just as I got a hand on the net, Alicia let go of the rope and snatched something from behind her back. My eyes were still on Trubbish, and as a result, I didn't regard what Alicia was doing until it was far too late. As I tore a strand in the net apart with my teeth, I felt...something. Something very strong, like a limb found its way to my belt, specifically, the portion with my pokeballs. And before I registered even this, it left. Odd, but it could wait until after I pulled Trubbish out of that net and sent him on his way. He ran back to the boy at top speed. Perfect. Now I could focus on Alicia...who had...every...one...of...my...pokeballs.

There she stood. With a smug grin on her face and a device in her hands. A rather complicated device at that. It was a claw. A metal claw with three prongs. And between those prongs, my pokeballs were held. All four of them. The claw was attacked with a scissor extension system to a handle in Alicia's hand.

"Ha! You thought I actually wanted that piece of trash? Please." Alicia laughed as I realized that I was screwed. She had just taken all my pokemon. A simple distraction. That was it. I growled at her.

"Run kid!" I shouted back at the little boy. He nodded fast and ran. Hopefully, he'd call the police, at least.

"Payback time! No one sees my face without consequences! Sandile, I choose-"

"STOP ALICIA!" Yeah that's all I had to do. Stop Alicia. Wait...that wasn't me. That sounded like Alicia. I'm serious, that voice was Alicia, right down to the deep tones. I didn't get it. Why did she want to stop herself exactly? Well, she must've, because she was just standing there. Pokeball in her hand, almost thrown. But she was still. Since I could only see her teeth under that hood, I visibly saw them clench. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

"A-Are you a ventriloquist or something?" I was totally confused. Her lips weren't even moving. But it was her. It was so obviously her.

"DON'T DO THIS!" Well, it comes down to this. I never thought my journey would take a soap opera turn, but it did. A second Alicia was running down the road, right toward our location. Yes. Really. There were two of them. This one wasn't in a Team Plasma uniform. Her skin was much darker, and she looked much more comfortable in the warm weather. What with her bright red T-shirt and green shorts with running shoes. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she looked much more mellow than the first Alicia. Upon hearing Alicia Two's voice, Alicia One turned, stepping away from Alicia Two a bit. "COME ON! PLEASE DON'T!"

"SHUT UP!" Alicia wasn't that good at being subtle when debating. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?"

"YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS!" I didn't know what was going on, but this was just the distraction I needed. As these two continued their conversation, I slowly inched in, further and further. "WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU?"

"NOTHING! GO AWAY!"

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? WE USED TO BE SO CLOSE!"

"YOU'RE MY PROBLEM! GO! AWAY! NOW!"

"Alicia. Just listen to me!"

"NO! I SAID-!"

"Yoink!" And that's what I said as I snatched my pokeballs from the metal claw. Alicia turned back with further clenched teeth. I zipped away as fast as I could, broad-toothed grin on my face. "HA! Never turn your back on me! Now let's tango!"

"GAH! Forget this!" Alicia fled. She dashed away from us, disappearing into a nearby group of trees before the battle smack talk could even start. The other Alicia began to give chase, but I quickly grabbed her on the shoulder. I didn't know who this other Alicia was, but she was trying to talk Alicia One down. Not an easy task, and you'd have to be brave to try and break through that thick skull of her's.

"Hey! Trust me when I say that she's quick. You won't catch her!"

"But she-"

"If it's about me, it's fine. I got my pokemon back, so I'm all good."

"But...I...she..." I shook my head as she stuttered. She took a deep breath and exhaled just as deep in order to chill out. She then looked back at me with two things I never thought I'd see on Alicia's face. A smile, and glittering eyes. "Yeah. Sorry about that. She...She's a handful."

"Yeah...um...who are you, by the way?"

"Oh geez, I'm sorry. I'm Ellen. And I suppose...you've already met my sister."

"Oh, she's your sister. That's good, for a second I thought you were clones."

"Heh, heh. Funny." I was serious, but okay. "I'm sorry, but I've got to go!" She tore herself away from my touch, dashing just as fast as Alicia (maybe a little slower) towards the contest hall. I had to wonder what was with me and girls these days. Hey wait...she was going to the contest hall. Oh geez, that was right. I had to get a seat for the contest, it would be starting soon. And if I took the hype into account, this place would be packed. But I wasn't stupid this time. As I ran I grabbed my skateboard in my bag and hopped on. I zoomed to the front entrance, trying not to hit anyone in the crowd when I dismounted. A lot of people were excited for this contest. I saw men, women and children alike crowding up to get into the hall. I was getting more excited by the second. My heart was beating faster, and I had almost completely forgotten about the business with Alicia. I gulped. The odds of me getting a good seat now were slim to none.

Once I was inside, I found two ways to go. Maybe 'see' isn't the best word, since I couldn't view a thing above the heads of the crowd. But from what I could make out, I had two options. Balcony seat, or regular seat. After a coin flip in my head, I went for regular. Once I had made it through those doors to the arena itself and the crowd dispersed to find seats, I got myself 'the look'. This time, it was for a location.

I've never seen an arena so grand. A stage, nearly the size of my house stood at the other end of this huge auditorium. Another jumbo tron was here, above the stage with the same words of 'POKEMON CONTEST' on it. If we're talking about the stage itself, there was an entrance I assumed was for a backstage entrance. It was covered with a plush curtain but it was there. There were only four things left on the stage. All the same. They were podiums that each had their own screen on the front of them. I assumed that those were for the judge's scoring. The balcony hung above my head, and considering the number of seats yet to fill before me, I think we could fit that crowd and more as well.

Then again, over half the seats had been filled. I really wanted to check out this contest, but at the rate things were going, I don't think there would be enough seats for everyone. And being the nice and dazed from amazement person I was, the seats were filling faster than I could get focused. And before I knew it...I was without a seat. Yeah, they'd all been filled. I cursed my own sense of childlike wonder.

Whoops. Not time for that. The lights just dimmed. The whole place was suddenly dark. For a second I thought this was one of Alicia's schemes. But nope. A spotlight activated, shining bright on the stage. A woman in a bright ruby red dress stood in that spotlight. Brown hair, gorgeous face, and a voice that rang out throughout the auditorium thanks to her microphone.

"Hello everyone! How are you all doing today?" The crowd roared at her words. Yipes. I didn't expect that big a reaction right away. "That's awesome! Welcome to the very first contest of the Unova region!" Another big cheer, but I was ready for this one. I find cheering is less deafening when you join in. "As we all know, this town, Agran Town was chosen by lottery to decide where the premiere of Unova contests will take place! Contest halls have been constructed all over the region! And coordinators everywhere have been working hard to participate! Contest fans out there know that when a coordinator receives five ribbons, they're allowed to compete in the greatest of contests! The Grand Festival!"

More cheering. And I couldn't blame them. I was finally understanding. Contests were sort of like gym battles. I mean, you had the ribbons, and those might as well be gym badges.

"And ribbons can only be obtained by winning a contest! Which is why we're here today! But first, we have a very special guest! OUR OPENING ACT!" Even more cheering. But I had to cover my ears here. These cheers were from fangirls. Screaming at their highest of pitches. I could only wish their pitch was a little higher, so only pokemon could hear it. "That's right! As a very special treat for this first contest, I give you the main event! The contest master! His fans call him Johto's Shooting Star! Top Coordinator and all around great guy-! Oops. I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't say! Since he plans to give his own introduction! Here he is now!"

"Why thank you Jillian!" A familiar gruff voice made it's way onto the speakers. My eyes went wide. I knew who that was. The man in the trench coat walked into the spotlight, and boy did I feel sheepish. I had no idea he was good at contests. When he approached, I heard confused voices in the crowd.

"Who is he?"

"That's him?"

"Doesn't look like it?"

"That's a guy?"

But I knew better. And as the man on stage began to unbutton his rather large trench coat, my suspicions were proven correct. The trench coat added a lot of size, since this wasn't a man at all. It was a teen. And I should know. I've been following his battle exploits for years.

"HEY EVERYBODY!" Axel Igaul shouted into the microphone, letting his trench coat fall to the floor and tossing his fedora into the audience (over which the fangirls were more than happy to fight over). "ARE YOU READY FOR A CONTEST?" Cheers. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Cheers that made my eardrums feel abused. "Okay stop! I can hear you now!" Laughs (even though I didn't find it too funny). "Alright everyone! If you don't know me, I'm Axel Igaul! And I'm here to kick this contest off with the premiere of the new Unova contest style! Triple performance! You all ready?"

Did he even have to ask that? I really wondered if he loved making me not hear my own thoughts. These fangirls were screeching so loud that the ones over at Striaton seemed like a heavenly choir compared to this.

"OKAY! Benjie! Bella! Bardo! Time for your trio!" Axel tossed three pokeballs into the air, and they opened up wide. And what came out were...three pokemon I've never seen before. But one thing was for sure, they were all bug types. I got out my pokedex, and considering that the crowd was still roaring, I used my headphones as well.

"_**Volbeat, the Firefly Pokémon. Volbeat uses the designs on its tail for sketching and communicating with other Volbeat."**_

"_**Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokémon. Beautifly is the evolved form of Silcoon. It loves sweet pollen and riding the spring breeze from flower to flower."**_

"_**Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon. Butterfree is the evolved form of Metapod. The scales covering its wings help it to shed water."**_

Wow. Triple bug types. Guess he was going for some kind of 'combination'. Whatever it was, by the screams of the ladies, it better be good. And he had obviously gone to some effort to do this. He had given the Volbeat a bowtie, the Beautifly a tiara and the Butterfree a red headband that had long tails which flowed gracefully in the air conditioned wind.

"Alright you three! Just like we practiced! Time for Insect Aurora! Benjie!" The Volbeat nodded. "Bella!" The Beautifly followed suit. "Bardo!" Butterfree nodded in time as well. "Okay folks! Let's light it up!"

_Axel: __I came to dance, dance, dance, dance_  
><em>I hit the floor<em>  
><em>'Cause that's my, plans, plans, plans, plans<em>  
><em>I'm wearing all my favorite<em>  
><em>Brands, brands, brands, brands!<em>  
><em>Give me space for both my hands, hands, hands, hands!<em>  
><em>Yeah, yeah!<em>  
><em>Cause it goes on and on and on,<em>  
><em>And it goes on and on and on!<em>

_(Benjie shoots Signal Beam to the top of the auditorium and Bella does the same using Silver Wind. The two attacks collide, producing a sparkling dust which Bardo flies into.)_

_Yeah!_

_I throw my hands up in the air sometimes,_  
><em>Saying AYO!<em>  
><em>Gotta let go!<em>  
><em>I wanna celebrate and live my life,<em>  
><em>Saying AYO!<em>  
><em>Baby, let's go!<em>

_(Bardo uses Whirlwind, spreading the dust throughout the stage and making the skin all three pokemon shine.)_

_'Cause we gon' rock this club,_  
><em>We gon' go all night,<em>  
><em>We gon' light it up,<em>  
><em>Like it's dynamite!<em>  
><em>'Cause I told you once,<em>  
><em>Now I told you twice,<em>  
><em>We gon' light it up,<em>  
><em>Like it's dynamite!<em>

_(Benjie uses Moonlight, which makes him shine even more, center stage. Bardo still flies above and uses Stun Spore, Sleep Powder and Poison Powder, adding the yellow, green and purple powders into the Silver Wind mix.)_

_I came to move, move, move, move,_  
><em>Get out the way me and my crew, crew, crew, crew,<em>  
><em>I'm in the club so I'm gonna do, do, do, do,<em>  
><em>Just what we, came here to do, do, do, do!<em>

_(The whole auditorium is now an aurora of colours. Bardo and Bella draw the attention to the stage though, by using Gust and Whirlwind to draw every particle towards the center of the stage.)_

_Yeah, yeah!_

_(Benjie uses Tailglow, directing the two others. Using their wind attacks, the two butterfly pokemon start to bring their spectacle of attacks into one cluster.)_

_Cause it goes on and on and on_  
><em>And it goes on and on and on<em>

_Yeah!_

_I throw my hands up in the air sometimes_  
><em>Saying AYO!<em>  
><em>Gotta let go!<em>  
><em>I wanna celebrate and live my life<em>  
><em>Saying AYO!<em>  
><em>Baby, let's go!<em>

_'Cause we gon' rock this club!_  
><em>We gon' go all night!<em>  
><em>We gon' light it up,<em>  
><em>Like it's dynamite!<em>  
><em>'Cause I told you once!<em>  
><em>Now I told you twice!<em>  
><em>We gon' light it up!<em>  
><em>Like it's dynamite!<em>

_(The crowd begins to sway their arms in the air, getting ready for the big finale.)_

_I'm gonna take it all like,_  
><em>I'm gonna be the last one standing,<em>  
><em>I'm alone and all I,<em>  
><em>I'm gonna be the last one landing!<em>  
><em>'Cause I, I, I Believe it!<em>  
><em>And I, I, I,<em>  
><em>I just want it all, I just want it all!<em>  
><em>I'm gonna put my hands in the air!<em>  
><em>Hands in the air!<em>  
><em>Put your hands in the air!<em>

_(The three bug pokemon fly through their concentration of spores, allowing them to leave a trail of sparkles behind as they fly throughout the auditorium.)_

_I throw my hands up in the air sometimes,_  
><em>Saying AYO!<em>  
><em>Gotta let go!<em>  
><em>I wanna celebrate and live my life,<em>  
><em>Saying AYO!<em>  
><em>Baby, let's go!<em>

_'Cause we gon' rock this club,_  
><em>We gon' go all night,<em>  
><em>We gon' light it up,<em>  
><em>Like it's dynamite!<em>  
><em>'Cause I told you once,<em>  
><em>Now I told you twice,<em>  
><em>We gon' light it up,<em>  
><em>Like it's dynamite!<em>

_(The three pokemon land on stage and bow, along with Axel.)_

The cheering was louder than ever before as Axel finished his performance. I had to admit. I had my eyes on those pokemon the whole time. Pretty flashy. And if you saw those pokemon, you`d agree. They were still shining bright after that big trio of effort. Sparkles glistened all over the name. I guess I understood the nickname he`d given to that show. Insect Aurora. My description is probably an understatement though. Everyone else was much more enthusiastic.

"Awesome!"

"Spectacular!"

"Are you sure he's a boy? Just look at that hair!"

I clapped along with them. Heck I even joined in with the whistling. This contest was even more interesting than I thought. If i were a judge, I would've given that a ten for sure.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Axel said, bowing at every angle just to make sure his gratitude came across well. "You're an amazing audience! One more hand for the real stars of the show, Benjie, Bella and Bardo!" The pokemon bowed as well, making the girls screech about their cuteness and the boys remark on how impressive those attacks were. "Thanks again! I'll be back soon! Jillian, you're up!" Axel walked away, heading through the curtain at the back. His pokemon were close behind, looking proud of what they just achieved.

"And that was our opening act everyone! We're going to take a short break to let that performance sink in, and in the meantime our coordinators will be thinking up ways to make their no doubt outstanding performances even more amazing! Don't go away!"

"Enjoying yourself?" Uh oh. I knew that insidious voice. I turned around and stepped back a few feet, making sure to keep a hand close to my pokeballs. Yep. Alicia decided to make an encore this time. She was just standing there, in full uniform no less, with her eyes focused on the stage oddly enough.

"What do you want?"

"Relax idiot. Besides, you want to battle here?"

"Grr." I hate it when people I hate are right. I still kept my hands close to my pokeballs just in case she tried something.

"Pfft. You think I'd waste my time with you? I only tried to free your pokemon because you were the one who messed with me. You got in my way."

"Oh really? You're the one who tried to steal pokemon from that center! Which you failed at by the way?"

"You think I'd just randomly free pokemon from any center? Please."

"Well, of course. What else would you be doing?"

"Hmph." Alicia's voice got lower. And even more odd, she was still staring straight ahead. At the contest stage. "You've met my sister, I suppose?"

"Yeah. Which makes me question why the hell you're on Team Plasma's side in the first place. Ellen seems a lot more reasonable."

"Please. Don't make me laugh." Ironic. Laughing was the last thing I'd expect Alicia to do. "You couldn't possibly understand."

"Good. I don't want to. But what's with the stealing? That doesn't exactly help your case of being a friendly and honest organization, does it?"

"Shut up! You think I care about any of those pokemon I tried to take in the center? No. I'm looking for something specific."

"Yeah? Why don't you look for it elsewhere?"

"Not quite. This pokemon isn't something you find just anywhere. In fact, only a few people have ever seen it." I gulped. There was no way. No, just my imagination. She couldn't be talking about what I was thinking of. "It got away from me once. But I swore I'd catch up to it."

"And...why can't you just find a wild one?" I really didn't like where this conversation was going. Good thing Alicia had her eyes covered by that hood, or she might see me sweating.

"I just told you. You can't find this thing in the wild. I went to Nuvema Town, where those boys in blue said they were taking it. But once I gt there, it turned out that it had already left." Uh oh. I think I should've been seating more than bullets. In fact, I was sweating missiles by this point. And it wasn't until she spoke again that my heart began pounding faster than any drum ever could.

"And I intend to find Victini."

**End of Chapter Ten!**

**Alright everyone, that's a wrap. (Ha ha, it's a pun 'cause the song was a rap.) Now to get down to business. I think I've decided my travelling companion, but it's not a sure thing. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE YOU START ASKING ME IF IT'S YOUR CHARACTER: I still have NOT decided for sure yet. New OC insertions can be used to try and change my mind and I'll probably change my mind along the way. This is just to give you an update on that. If all goes well, we should be meeting the companion near, after, or in Castelia City.**

**Now for a small preview with dialogue only. FUN:  
><strong>

**Black: Why are you doing this?**

**Alicia: Oh it's not just me. You see this crowd? Let's just say I'm not the only Plasma member here!**

**Black: OH SWEET MERCIFUL-!**

**Next Chapter: Contest Crisis**

**And I'm afraid to say that this is your last chance to submit an OC. First the problem was that I didn't have enough of them. Now I have too many. The moment the next chapter comes out, OC submissions will be cut off. Last chance people.  
><strong>

'**Kay. Catch y'all on the flip side!**


	11. Contest Crisis

**Review Responses: The Pinball Wizard - Why thank you. I do enjoy imagining singing pokemon.**

**Pokemon Fusion - Uhh, IV's and EV's are basically non-existent in this story. I'm going by anime-style system (if that even is a term to use). Also, I'm well aware of the songs of Crush 40. I play Sonic games too. And with all due respect, I'm afraid I've got something else planned for those fights. **

**awyeah21 - Uh...to be honest, I actually sort of detest the english Black and White theme. Probably not gonna use it for anything. Also, thanks for pointing out the inconsistency, I've altered chapter one accordingly.**

**AngelicWings24 - Funny you should mention the time traveling thing. I actually have another story that could definitely play to that Doctor Who fangirl inside of you. Time Travel and everything. Now that I think about it, I've got kind of a River Song scenario going on there. I NEVER noticed that. Huh. And no, Axel is not a connoisseur. (Besides if anyone is a jack of all trades, it's Cilan. Think about it. Gym Leader, connoisseur, scientist, detective, movie star. I am seriously jealous that I didn't go to whatever school he went to.) **

**Alright, chapter eleven. everybody got their popcorn? Good. Let's continue.**

**Chapter 11: Contest Crisis**

"V-Victini, 'eh? Never heard of it." Except for that first stutter, I think I sounded pretty convincing there. If it wasn't for my fear that Tony could pop out of his pokeball any second, I would be the perfect liar.

"Don't play dumb." Uh oh. I gulped and wondered if she'd already figured me out. "Everyone knows Victini these days. Everywhere I go, people say they've seen it. The Accumula battle club, the Striaton City gym, everywhere! And I've almost caught up to it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm after the trainer with Victini. And if those Nuvema residents were telling the truth, then I'm on the right track." My face was getting red hot. Uh oh. She knew a lot more than I thought. She was more than just some Plasma grunt. She was a plasma grunt who was after me. "I'm after three trainers."

"Who?"

"Hmph. As if you would know. They're from Nuvema Town, idiot. And they were the only three to leave around the time Victini came in."

My heart skipped a beat. She just said only three people left Nuvema around the time Tony did. But if I was interpreting right, she didn't know exactly _when _Tony left town. If I was right, then she couldn't be talking about me. No one knew I left town with Tony except Carol, White's mother, and Professor Juniper herself. And I highly doubt they'd tell anything to a Team Plasma member. No. I knew who she was talking about. White, Cheren and Bianca. Which means she didn't suspect me at all. This was great, I was off the hook. I was close to grinning, it was too funny. My unpopularity in my home town was working to my advantage!

But that urge to grin soon faded. I realized just what that meant. If she wasn't after me, she was definitely going to be gunning for the other three. And she'd steal all their pokemon if it meant accomplishing her goal. I was becoming tense again. And it all revolved around Alicia. Our chance encounters were more than just coincidental. We were both trying to do the same thing. Catch up to those three. Only difference was, I wanted to be just as good as them, and she wanted to tear them apart.

"S-So..." I was starting to stutter again since I was torn between the good and the bad of all this. "Wh-Why are you telling me all this? If you do, I'm gonna try and stop you."

"Hmmm. Will you? It's going to be hard without any pokemon."

"What are you smoking? I've got all my pokemon right here! And there isn't a thing that'll take 'em away."

"I can."

"Yeah, you and what army?"

"Look around you."

"Wha-?" I did, but only out of interest. I spike of worry popped up when I thought there would suddenly be Plasma grunts all around me, as if from nowhere. You know, like in those cheesy ninja movies. But no, the spike died down as I glanced around, seeing only the audience whispering their hopes for the upcoming performances. "You're gonna get the crowd to do it? That seems kind of unlikely."

"God you're stupid. Hmph. Why don't you just enjoy the show? It'll all be clear soon. Seeya." And before I could stop her, she sprinted down the hall, back into the entranceway.

"HEY!" I shouted as I chased after her. But the moment I emerged into the lobby, she was nowhere to be found. Even as I stared out the front entrance, I didn't see her fleeing form. I scratched my head. Either she was faster than I thought, or she was hiding. I was totally unsure of what to do next. Should I go out and look for her? I'd be searching for a pretty long time if she was that fast. Should I search the contest hall? Impossible. My guess was, unless I was a coordinator I wouldn't be getting backstage where she might've gone. Then again, she was after White and the others. So maybe I should start up the travelling again. A contest wasn't worth it if those three were in danger. I didn't know. So many scenarios were running through my head. That girl was up to something, and I was clueless as to what to do about it.

_Stick around and enjoy the show. That's what she said. _I had to stop panicking and think. She did say something about me losing my pokemon. And she also said for me to look all around me back in the auditorium. It didn't take a genius. There was obviously something else going on here. And it had to do with the crowd. And after about three seconds, I realized how stupid I was being. I knew her deal. I ran back into the stage area itself, the audience still in a buzz. There was no question about what Alicia's little hints meant. She wasn't alone in her wrongdoing. There had to be others. And that meant I had to ask just one question. Just one.

_Who are the grunts? _I thought to myself. At every angle I looked, I saw people in their seats. Laughing. Clapping. Exchanging a few words of excitement. Nothing at all that would make them a suspect. But they had to be here. They _were _here. There were Plasma members in the audience, I just knew it. And who knew how many? Panic began to overtake me. For all I knew, everyone in the place could be one of them in disguise. I couldn't trust anyone.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Axel was here. Surely he could do something about this Plasma business. But then there was yet another problem. Seems like I come across one every time I solve another. There was no way I was getting backstage. I smacked my own forehead in frustration. Gah! There was no way out of this.

Then again, why was I getting so worked up? I didn't even know what the plan was. Hell, I couldn't know for sure whether there were other Plasma members here. It was all speculation. I could've just been over-analyzing Alicia's little ramblings. She might've just been trying to freak me out. After all, why else would she tell me all that stuff? Her intentions to snatch up Tony, all those hints that pointed to a dastardly plot. It was all way too convenient.

But still, it couldn't hurt to be safe. I had to tell Axel. I didn't know how I was going to get backstage, but I at least had to warn someone I knew. Someone who could probably deal with it. Because believe me, one kid going up against a criminal organization sounded like the worst and most improbable idea ever. I mean who'd do that? Who'd even try that? Crazy people, that's who. So I turned around, intending to head to the lobby from which I could sneak-

"And we're back!" Well forget that plan. I quickly grumbled as Jillian's voice spoke out, silencing the crowd in a second. I turned back around grumpily. Knowing Axel's desire for showmanship, he'd be on stage in just a second. Great. Now I'd have to wait for intermission.

"I hope you're all still here! Because now is where the real contest begins!" The crowd roared with excitement, and Jillian's introduction wasn't even done yet. She was just standing there in the one spotlight beneath the jumbo tron, waiting for the cheers to die down. "But first I'd like to introduce our judges! First up, the Unova contest director, Mister Nostacte!"

Another spotlight lit up. This one made the left side of the stage shine. Well, not the whole stage. Just the two podiums that were positioned on the left side of the curtain. A man with slicked back white hair walked into the light, resulting in a gradually growing cheer from the audience. He sat down in the podium on the left, waving to the eager contest-lovers.

"It's amazing to see such a turnout. Welcome everyone!" The mustachioed man greeted the crowd with a wide smile and a gruff voice. He was definitely the most jolly person I'd seen today.

"And now, the President of the Unova Pokemon Fan Club, Madame Forester!"

This time, from the right of the new spotlight, a woman in a stunning black gown and veil walked into the light. My face was getting warm tingles again. She was pretty. Very pretty. Her face made her look twenty-five at the oldest. Not a wrinkle was painted across her face. Her tan skin contrasted brilliantly with the bright light. The veil couldn't hide that shimmering blond hair that had grown to her shoulders. Her emerald eyes stared into the souls of each and every person in the crowds. All eyes were on her, and I couldn't blame them.

"Good afternoon. I'm looking forward to a grand effort by all coordinators." Yikes. Don't judge a book by it's cover. She may look like an angel, but her cold and crisp voice said otherwise. Sent shivers down my spine it did. For someone who obviously put a lot into her appearance, she sure sounded wicked. Don't leave yourself alone with her.

"And now, please turn your attention to the right side of the stage for the introduction of our third judge! Agran Town's own Nurse Joy!" Yet another light made itself shine onstage. Now all four podiums could be clearly seen. And as Jillian said, Nurse Joy walked into the center of attention. She was dressed in full uniform, which almost drew the eye away from her winking face as she sat down.

"Enjoy the show everyone! And keep those cheers as loud as you can!" And with another wink from her, the volume got louder than ever before. I had to cover my ears for this one. Geez, when Nurse Joy made an appearance, she certainly made an appearance.

"And now! You know him! I know him! He's the Unova region's guest! He's Axel!" And last but certainly not least, Axel made his way onto the illuminated stage, putting on the fedora he had earlier. Huh. He must've grown attached to it. Sounded like something his silly self would do.

"Hmmm." I blinked. I didn't know what he was waiting for. When I watched his old pokemon league battles on the internet, he always had some sort of witty line to say. So, I couldn't fathom what could be stopping him now. Eventually, he did speak up. Problem. I didn't comprehend a lick of it. "Show me the soul of your pokemon, dear coordinators."

There are no words to describe the screams of joy that came from the women in this place. I'm pretty sure the little guys in my pokeballs were covering their ears from this trauma. Seriously, most if not all the men in these seats were shutting their ears off in a desperate attempt to keep their hearing ability. Note to self. Stay away from contests after this.

"And those are our fabulous judges everyone! And now it's time for the performance round!" It was time for the spotlights to go. And instead the whole stage lit up with the flood lights. And now everything was in plain sight. "So without further ado, allow me to introduce our first contestant! Jennie, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region! Give her a warm welcome everyone!"

"Hey that's her!" I said to myself as Jennie ran on stage from behind the curtain. Her Pichu had vacated her shoulder and I guessed it was because he was in his pokeball.

"Flareon! Onstage!" Jennie declared as she let her pokeball loose. It opened up wide and the traditional light burst forth, lighting up the stage like a firecracker. And I do mean _fire_cracker. Because the pokemon that came out was one I'd actually heard of.

"Hey! Cool! Flareon!" I exclaimed as I got out my pokedex. This was too cool. A real evolutionary form of Eevee right before me.

_**"Flareon, the Flame Pokémon. Flareon is the evolved form of Eevee. The air it inhales is ignited by a flame in its body and expelled as fire."**_

"Ha! No way!" I was giddy. Every book I'd ever read on pokemon evolution included Eevee on the first three pages. I could always imagine myself one day seeing all seven evolutions of Eevee in one place. The branched evolution was just too interesting for words. My legs started to get restless as I waited for the Flareon's performance to start. But wait...this Flareon had something else about her. Something odd. She was wearing a cape. A long black cape around her neck that flowed out behind her. Huh. Didn't Axel's pokemon have little fashion statements as well?

"For those of you who are unaware, pokemon are given extra points for a sense of style that is both practical and fashionable." Well, I guess in a style contest it made sense. Accessories are a part of wardrobe. "Now let's see how Jennie and her Flareon take this stage!"

"Okay Flareon! Lava Plume!" Flareon pointed her head to the roof. For a moment, her cheeks expanded, like she was chewing on something. But it was all made clear when she opened her mouth and a geiser of flames shot into the air. The fireworks display rocketed upwards so fast, it looked like it would hit the roof, even casting shadows on the catwalk above. Odd...lumpy shadows. Wait...one of those shadows sprayed across the wall looked like...it had arms. An idea began to form in my mind, but the shadows faded before it could be formed. I shook my head. Must've been a trick of the eye.

"Alright! Follow up with Fire Spin!" Flareon was still using Lava Plume, but that didn't stop her from transforming the gushing flames into a literal vortex of fire. The vortex surrounded the intense sparks already in the air, drawing them into the tornado's inner depths. "Now wrap it up! Jump!"

Flareon ceased spurting flames from her mouth and leaped right into her spectacle. Since the tornado had lost its source, it began to disperse. I didn't get it. I think that might've been a dud. But it all became clear when it had disappeared completely. As it did, Flareon was already making her descent. And her cape was alit with embers. A gasped. That was stunning. The cape was slowly burning away, and the stream of sparks flowing from behind her made her fur ruffle and sparkle. And when she landed, her fur was still flowing any which way with a certain grace. Like it had been caught in a slight breeze. But with sparks still sprouting from her every few seconds.

"WOOOOOOOOOO!" The crowd was ecstatic. I was clapping along too. That was spectacular. It was so amazing that I forgot just what I'd been doing. Something about plasma...wait that's right! I hoped there weren't too many people in this thing. I needed to tell Axel what Alicia told me. Of course, I had to ponder the reason why Team plasma would be at a contest of all places. It wasn't exactly at the height of pokemon cruelty. If anything a contest glorified pokemon. And hey, who knew? Maybe a few good routines would mellow them out a bit.

Or not. Just one contestant later, I had my foot in my mouth. Uh...excluding a select few, these people were awful. The followup to Jennie's stellar act was some guy and his Musharna trying to mystify the audience with psychic attacks. They ended up putting judge number one to sleep with Hypnosis. Next was a young girl who tried to dazzle us with electric attacks from her Emolga. Nurse Joy's hair never looked frizzier. And the absolute worst try at having an actual performance was when a little boy and his Ferroseed tried to construct a dance routine. Even Axel looked mystified at what that was supposed to be. I was beginning to think these contests weren't as great as I once thought.

"And would you look at that, we're down to our last coordinator!" The crowd let out sighs of relief. I've got a hand it to Jillian. She was a great actor, pretending to get excited over all these dull shows of...ahem...'talent'. "Please give a warm welcome to...Ellen!"

"WHO?" I shouted as the surprisingly understanding audience gave one last applause. They sure were troopers to suffer through that mess. I'll give them that.

But who cares about them? I was starting to get an inkling as to why Alicia had kept her stare on the stage. Her sister was performing. Though that didn't explain why she decided to pull a disappearing trick on me. Not that I was completely derived of her presence. After all, Ellen looked almost identical in every aspect except for the darker skin. Must be twins. But I could tell from there as she emerged from behind the entrance curtain that she was nothing like Alicia. For one thing she had a humongous smile on her face. Now that I think about it, I could actually see her face. Something I've never had the "pleasure" to do with Alicia herself.

"Zorua! Center stage!" Ellen declared as she released her pokeball. And the pokemon that came out...was nothing I've ever seen. It was a dark black fox. And her fur had been groomed to perfection. Especially the little tuft on her head. As for the accessory, she had a simple red scarf tied tight around her neck. Man, my eyes were twinkling again, I knew it. Any new pokemon just makes me go all fanboy for them.

_**"Zorua. The tricky fox pokemon. Zorua changes into the forms of others to surprise them. Apparently, it often transforms into a silent child."**_

Whoa. A shape-shifter. Ellen had a pokemon that rare? Impressive. And she was officially the apple of my eye.

"Zorua! Start off by using Double Team!" Ah Double Team. Reminded me of when I tried to trick Carol by pretending I was home. I recording my voice and played it continuously in my room while I was really going pokemon watching. As a result I got grounded. But that doesn't matter. What does matter is the move itself. Zorua's form began to vibrate. And in the blink of an eye, their wasn't just one. There weren't just two. But there were three Zorua standing on stage. Red scarf and all. If this was their act, it would be par for the course, but no. It was better than that (thankfully).

"Now! Use Shadow Ball straight up!" Like Flareons before her, the Zorua in the middle pointed her nose up to the sky as a mass of dark energy began to form at her muzzle. She quite literally spat the Shadow Ball out, letting it rise, almost to the catwalk before it began to fall. "Get the clones to jump in the way!" I wasn't sure exactly how Double Team was supposed to work. Was it like a video game and the pokemon using it controlled its doppelgangers like puppets? Crazy. But whatever it was all about, the two Zorua clones leaped into the path of the descending Shadow Ball. One above the other. The Shadow Ball hit the first Zorua like a bullet, making it disappear in a puff of dark smoke. The second went right afterwards. And at the rate that Shadow Ball was going, the real Zorua would be gone in just a second.

"Zorua! Shadow Ball once more!" Zorua complied by shooting one more sphere of dark power at the falling Shadow Ball. The two collided and resulted in an explosion. The mere shockwave of it spread the dark fog that had been created throughout the stage. It cloaked it all in a shroud of smoke. For a second I thought this would be another failed attempt at a performance. Until Ellen gave the final order. "Scary Face!"

A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the fog. A few women gasped (as well as most of the men) but that was hardly the beginning. Before the crowd had recovered from that scare, a set of teeth began to shine bright in a gristly and evil smile. My God that was unsettling. And that wasn't even the end of it. Zorua leapt out of the smoke, getting rid of the Scary Face before emerging and following up with a cute wink. There was no cheer from the crowd. That was too sudden a shift. I expected that chilling thing to get an average score. Maybe a little extra.

Then again, since when am I right with these things? I watched the judge's scoreboards flash up. And my jaw dropped three miles long when I saw all four judges give her a ten. Okay, now I was just flabbergasted. Contests were really not my thing.

"The shift from a startling Scary Face to an adorable pose was unexpected and absolutely marvelous." The first judge, Nostacte praised the performance with a broad grin and clasped hands.

"Grand." Madame Forester said simply with no emotion whatsoever. Why was I having flashbacks to Trip all of a sudden?

"I must say, Zorua had me transfixed that entire time. Amazing!" Nurse Joy was ecstatic. She had the look. My look. Yeesh. Now I know why Carol calls me out on it.

"Hmmm." Axel was still thinking about his comment. I was willing to bet it would be just as cryptic as the last one. "Sometimes a soul of pure silver is only found in the depths of the darkness. And we found it in Zorua. Fantastic!"

And what do you know, I was right. That didn't stop the fans from eating it up. Poetic mumbo jumbo wasn't really my specialty. But these people didn't care. As long as it passed through Axel's lips, his fangirls were all over it.

"Thank you Ellen for that amazing act!" Jillian said as Ellen waved to the audience with Zorua hopping up onto her shoulder. She made an air kiss to the now cheering people and shuffled back behind the curtain. And with that, Jillian turned back to the audience. "And that's the end of our first round! We'll now be taking a short intermission for the judges to tally up their results. Don't go away, there's more contest fun coming at you!"

That was it. What I'd been waiting for. The judges had already left their seats as I realized that now was my chance. I dashed out into the lobby, fast as I could. I screeched on my heel. I was really pumping it. Maybe because I was really panicking. A whole bunch of theories about Team Plasma were running through my head. They could be here with guns. Maybe tanks. Maybe nuclear weapons! Okay, I was blowing things out of proportion, I know. But if these guys were trying to hunt down your best friend, you'd be a little frantic too. I turned the corner and ran down the purple-painted hall. There was only one door at the end of it. That had to be it. The route backstage. Yes! I was gonna do it. Alicia was an idiot for telling me her whole plot. I was getting Witt's evil smile on my face. Surely Axel would know what to-

And as usual, things didn't go my way. I was two steps away from the door, so very close. I reached out to grab the doorknob and...something grabbed at my belt again. Just like the last time, it felt like something strong, like a hand was trying to snatch up the pokeballs on my belt. I tried to turn around and stop my assailant, but before I could manage it, the limb was retracted. I flipped around, only to find a bad taste in my mouth.

"Would you just leave me alone!" I screamed at Alicia as she continued to retract the extendable claw in her hands. Her cheap onion-smelling perfume wafted into my nostrils as her smug smile came into existence. Unlike Witt though, her personality kind of placed her at the tipping end of the scale if you know what I mean. "Don't you have something else to do? Maybe in there!" I pointed in the direction of the auditorium where her little clues had indicated.

"Why would I need to be in there? I'm not involved. My mission is to find Victini. The operation going on here has nothing to do with me. Of course, getting revenge doesn't hurt either!"

"Well technically the person you get revenge upon-"

"SHUT UP! No more backtalk. No more snappy remarks. Because I'm done with you!" Alicia turned to run, but I wouldn't be letting her get away this time. She may have been quick on her feet but I was fast with my hands. I groped around in my bag as I gave chase, eventually finding my skateboard and hopping on. I pounded on the hard ground with my foot, getting closer to her fleeing form with each boost. The pokeballs were still clutched in that steel claw of hers, and she was running with her arms sprawled out behind her. A stupid move all things considered. After all, the device was still in her hand and I was speeding up as we speak. She wouldn't get away from me this time. I was three feet away. Another boost. Two feet now. Another boost. I clasped my hand on the closest pokeball-

And then she turned the corner. And since I was barrelling ahead at full steam, you can guess what happened. She turned rapidly, I was blasting ahead, my hand was clutching a pokeball. Something had to give. I panicked as she vacated from my sight. Seriously, my eyes got as wide as the moon when I realized what she was doing. I lost control of my board and I skid. I fell forwards, the pokeball I was hanging onto coming loose in the tumble. I flipped over, landing flat on my back.

"Owwwwwww." I groaned as my back screamed in pain. Oh but the pain didn't stop there. My skateboard had shot upwards in the commotion. And let's just say my nose felt a little twisted after it landed. My face twitched every few seconds. That's just great. But hey, on the bright side, I snagged my pokeball back. I brought it up to my face to see which ball I got. Red and silver, ordinary ball. Which meant I got Joel. I was hoping for Tony but at least I had one of my pals back with me.

"AHHHHHH!" Whoa. Enough rest time. I shot myself up, faster than a lightning bolt. While ignoring the yells of protest from my back, I turned my attention to the auditorium. There was a girl screeching in there. Normally I wouldn't think that odd, considering Axel's fanbase, but this wasn't a scream of joy. No. This was pure terror. And I could see why from here. Team Plasma's little operation had begun.

I saw two men in Plasma uniform with their backs turned to me. And with no one else in the lobby, I had to assume the receptionists were in there. And I could see, between these two Plasma flunkies, the place had been stocked to the brim with 'em. Plasma grunts I mean. I could see people being held at claw-point. By Liepards, Drilburs, Krokoroks and the like. And the worst part? I saw Alicia running in there. I gulped audibly. Which may have been a bad idea since the Plasma guards at the front began to turn around.

My reflexes kicked in and I hid behind a potted plant, curling up into a ball before those guys could even lay their eyes on me. After a few seconds, I took a chance and glanced over the pot. They'd gone back to disregarding the chance of me being here. I let out a silent sigh of relief. Good thing too. I may not have been able to hear what was going on inside. Lucky for me these Plasma guys were loud mouths.

"THIS CONTEST IS A SHAM!" Yikes. That loud voice was coming from the stage. And yet, it was like he was right in front of me. Now that guy needed to learn the concept of an inside voice. "DRESSING UP POKEMON LIKE DOLLS? PUTTING THEM UP FOR SHOW? POKEMON ARE PURE BEINGS THAT SHALL BE TREATED WITH RESPECT! IF YOU CANNOT GRASP THAT SIMPLE CONCEPT, THEN YOU WILL NO LONGER BE PERMITTED TO ASSOCIATE WITH THEM!"

This guy was really milking this speech. In the meantime, I decided to get to work. I brought the pokeball I'd regained in front of my face again. I thought for a plan. Maybe I could get Joel to cut the power again. There was a wiring panel across the room. If I could just get there without being noticed, Joel and I might be able to cause some panic. Of course, I knew nothing about electronic wiring. But hey, cutting every wire should work, right? And come to think of it, Joel could make it across with a lot more stealth than I ever could. Say, why does it feel like my life is a James Bond movie all of a sudden? Regardless, I had to get Tony and Witt back. Despite how tense I was to be going up against Team Plasma for the first time, I wouldn't let them have those two. They trusted me. And I have to admit, I love all three of my little pals. I don't think I could take a single day without Tony's bottomless pit of a stomach, or Joel's sporadic naps or Witt's mischievous pranks. So without hesitation, I enlarged my pokeball and opened it up wide. And here's where I realized just how oblivious I was. I made the most stupid move of my life. You see, I had forgotten something. Something terrible. Something unspeakable. Something that made my bruises scream in fear. Let's put it this way. That wasn't Joel's pokeball.

It was Snivy's.

_OH NOOOOOOO! _I thought, since I was too terrified to actually yell it out loud. For the moment, Snivy had her back turned to me. And I saw a glimmer of hope that she wouldn't notice me. But then that hope was extinguished, spat on and tossed into the trash compactor when Snivy made one glance behind her with the coldest, and most intense stare I'd received in my entire life. Oh crap, I was so dead. And the worst part was the waiting. She was just staring at me. With those violent eyes that wouldn't falter. My hands were shaking so much I couldn't even keep my hold on the pokeball. I dropped it, and that was all the catalyst she needed. A single vine emerged from the "lapels" around Snivy's neck. Oh snap. Vine Whip. As if having Plasma around wasn't bad enough, I had to deal with a psychotic Snake. The slow rising Vine Whip suddenly got much faster as Snivy launched it like a rocket at my face. My thoughts sparked, my reflexes came in and I caught the Vine Whip in my fist. Snivy wasn't a fool though. She got her second vine ready and was about to lash out at me when...

"Wait!" I rasped in the most serious voice I could manage, considering the circumstances. Snivy was surprised by my sudden ability to stand up to her and thus stopped in her tracks. It was as if time had stopped for it. It hovered right before my eyes. It may have been a glorified grass blade, but in this state, it might as well have been a gun barrel. I didn't believe it, I'd actually gotten her to stop. Okay, I had to think of something to say fast. Before she decided to start up again. I mentally smacked myself to think. Because if I didn't, she'd probably remember N's teachings and team up with these Plasma freaks.

Wait a minute. N. That gave me an idea. It was time to play to Snivy's good side. And I never thought I'd say that.

"Uh...N...you remember him, right?" I asked with a frightened smile and wide eyes that wouldn't look away from that vine.

"Sni." Snivy nodded. Good. We were getting somewhere.

"You remember how you felt with him right?"

"Snivy." Another nod.

"Well tell me. How did you feel?" Snivy gave me a look. "Look. N can understand pokemon right? Well I can too. Don't ask me how, I don't know myself. And I know you don't trust me, but if you speak to me, I might be able to get the gist of it. So please. Please try to tell me!" Snivy didn't look like she wanted to. I could feel the vine in my hand begin to wrench itself out. "Wait! Am I trying to hurt you? Look, obviously, you don't like me."

"Sni-hi." Snivy laughed sarcastically.

"But listen. I need your help. And if you do help me, I'll let you destroy this." I held up her pokeball, resulting in a widening of the eyes from Snivy. She then looked back at me with a certain expression. A puzzled one. One that just said 'why?' I sighed. "Listen. When I caught you, I thought I could get to know you better, and maybe even be your friend one day. But obviously that ain't gonna happen. And if you detest me that much, I don't know why I didn't let you go earlier."

"Vy?"

"I don't know what N told you about people. And maybe it's true about some.. but here's what I believe. I should only catch a pokemon if they WANT to come with me. And since you don't, you should be free to go."

"Sni..." Seems Snivy was sneering at me. It would be obvious to anyone that she would never consider taking my word for it. But I had no choice. If it meant getting the others back, then I had to reassure Snivy that I was going to set her free if she lended me a hand. And for that...I'd have to trust her.

"Snivy please!" I put my hands together, now begging. Snivy was taken aback, stepping away a little. "Tony, Witt and Joel are my best friends in the whole world. And you may be trying to hurt me, but I know you're not evil. You just believe in what N told you, I can understand that. I don't know who made you hate humanity. I bet they did something awful."

"..." Snivy just kept up her stare. Glaring right into my soul. But I couldn't stop now. I didn't know if I was making genuine progress or not, but I had to keep trying.

"Which is why I won't make the same mistake." I placed the pokeball down in front of her. Her stare broke and she suddenly had a gaping mouth at my sudden gesture. "Here. If you agree to help me, I'll let you destroy the ball in advance. That way, you know for sure that I won't double cross you."

What was I doing? I wasn't even sure that Snivy was listening. I was just the idiot human who captured her against her will. I was frantic. And I had nothing else. I knew, the moment we were done here, she'd go back to attacking any random human she bumped into. But I had no choice. I couldn't do this myself. And she was the toughest thing I knew. Well, besides Carol when she realizes that she paid more than she needed to for a new pair of jeans.

"Snivy snivy _think _vy _stay?"_

"What?" I understood a couple words. Okay, we were moving up the ladder a bit. That was a good sign, at least. "Did you just say, 'what makes you think I'll stay'?"

"S-Sni." Snivy nodded, a bit surprised.

"What makes me think you'll stay? That's obvious." I paused so Snivy could tilt her head a little. I felt it was good not to interrupt her when I was trying to persuade her at the same time. "Like I said, I don't think you're a bad pokemon. So if you agree to my proposition. I'm absolutely sure that you'll be honest and follow through with it. You may not trust me Snivy, and call me crazy, but I trust you. Believe it or not, by now, I know you better than you think. After all there must be some reason you hate humans. So I can see that you were mistreated in the past. And for that, I'm sorry. I know this sounds crazy, but you've hit me so many times, that I think I know you pretty well. If you destroy this ball and decide to help me, then I trust you. Just like I trust that you'll be whooping my butt again when all this is over. Heh heh." Snivy arched an eye. "It's a joke. Meant to be funny. Guess that didn't tickle your funnybone. Though I have to say-"

Snivy rolled her eyes and ran past me. For a minute, I thought she was gonna leave me high and dry just for telling one bad joke that didn't even sound like a joke. But no. Quite the opposite.

She was helping me.

"SNIVY!" She shouted to the two hooded Plasma grunts guarding the door. They turned around, only for the both of them to be clonked in the face with Snivy's Vine Whip duet. And before they could recover, Snivy leaped up and flipped over to give them one more thrashing to the face. Even from my vantage point behind the plant, I could feel that one. Mostly because she had given me that blow many times. Yes! She'd listened to reason.

_Wait a minute. _I turned my head back. There was the pokeball. Perfectly fine. Weird. Thought she would've destroyed it. Unless...she trusted me. I shook my head. She probably just forgot. I snatched up the sphere and dashed out of my hiding spot, seeing Snivy waiting for me in the auditorium doorway. She was tapping her foot and looking impatient overall.

"Snivy...thanks."

Snivy rolled her eyes again and moved slowly into the auditorium. I carefully stepped around the now unconscious pair of peons. Unfortunately when I looked back up, I lost track of Snivy. But then I felt something long and slender wrap around my arm and jerk my into the shadows of the door. I landed on my posterior and saw Snivy's Vine Whip retracting from my arm. I was wondering what the point of being stealthy was. Someone had to have taken notice of us by now.

"HOW MAY WE CALL POKEMON PURE BEINGS IF WE DISPLAY THEM LIKE THIS!" Wow. That guy was still going with his speech? I'd given a ramble and a half to Snivy and he was still on this tangent? Yeesh. I thought I was bad with ranting needlessly. Not to mention that his were more pointless. No one was gonna listen to him. I had to wonder what this guy looked like. He had to be the one in charge. No one was that arrogant for no reason. So I peeked around the door frame and took up Snivy's eye rolling. Gotta say. Lame payoff.

The guy making the speech...was a grunt. And not a very impressive one at that. He was standing on stage, his fellow stooges disregarding him as they tied the hands of spectators and coordinators alike. I swallowed hard. There were a lot of them here. At least fifty stood in the seats, on stage, and I could hear some footsteps up in the balcony too. Their pokemon were obviously their weapons. As I`ve said, they looked pretty threatening with their claws bared and teeth snarling. So much for the peaceful Team Plasma guise. And I shouldn`t even bother bringing up the fact that they were tying everyone`s hands up in leathery rope and dropping them to their knees while taking their pokeballs. Geez those pokemon looked tough. Those teeth on that Liepard looked sharp enough to slit my throat with enough effort. I took a deep breath. This really wasn`t gonna be fun. And to make matters worse, three more Plasma grunts emerged from behind the curtain. With three more people. All tied at the wrists. My teeth clenched. It was the judges. All three of them. They were struggling away, but the grunts holding them refused to let up. There was no other way to say this. I was in it alone.

Well, not quite alone. I could already see the gears running through Snivy`s head. I didn`t see any possible way through this. The closest Plasma grunt to us was just ten feet away. And if he turned around we were toast. But I didn`t have to plough through. I just had to know where Alicia was. I glanced around the auditorium. You know the odd thing? Most of these Plasma members have ginger hair. And as a result, a brown haired person would definitely stand out in this lot. But no. Despite how many angles I looked at it through, Alicia appeared to have fled the scene. I was pretty envious actually. At least she didn't have to listen to this guy's endless speech.

"HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELVES? WELL YOU WON'T HAVE TO LIVE WITH POKEMON ANYMORE! WE SHALL FREE YOUR POKEMON FROM YOU! AND THEN THEY SHALL BE PERFECT AND EQUAL BEINGS! YOU HAVE FOOLISHLY-"

"Hey Snivy. How do you suppose we...Snivy?" I looked by my side, to find a vacant spot. Uh oh. Where had she gone off to? One glance told me all I needed to know. She was certainly living up to her title as a snake pokemon. She had slid behind the nearest grunt, quiet as could be. The grunt turned his head, and Snivy slinked around him 'til she was out of sight. Wow. She was ever stealthy. Seriously, this wasn't even the end of it. In seconds she was hiding behind a pair of hostages. Then a chair. And then, oddly enough, a stray pokeball. Don't even ask me about that one.

Slowly but surely, Snivy made her way to the stage. She made absolute sure to keep in the shadows. I understood what she was doing. She must've come to the same conclusion as me. Alicia wasn't here. She didn't go outside. Only option left was behind that curtain. And I wouldn't be getting there. No chance, no way. But that also meant something else. I'd have to leave it up to Snivy. I had already decided to trust her once, so what's wrong with twice, right? Which meant I had to do my job. Get the hell out of here and find some police. Then again, I was in a small farming town. Since when are they known for their awesome police force? Aw man! I couldn't do anything. The only useful thing I had contributed today was snagging Snivy's pokeball back. Of course, I'd be all right with it if that guy on stage would just shut the hell up!

"NOW IS THE TIME! YOUR POKEMON SHALL NO LONGER SUFFER UNDER-!"

"SHUT UP!" Hey what do you know, someone was granting my wish. Remember how I said it would take a maniac to fight a criminal organization single-handed? Well say hello to our resident maniac. His voice shouted throughout the room, all the way from the roof.

"WH-WHO'S THERE?" Gosh. Even his exclamations were overly loud.

"Ever had a nightmare? Well guess what. I'm your nightmare's nightmare." For a moment, silence...then this. "What do you mean that doesn't work as a badass line? I totally worked on that for weeks! Sounded better in my head. Oh well, let's just do the dramatic reveal, 'kay?"

If you noticed before, I said all three judges were captured. Well, I meant all three regular judges. Where was the forth, you may ask? Why, flying in on a dragon of course. All eyes were on the catwalk as a Dragonite slowly came into view of the spotlights. A very smug looking silver-haired weirdo on his back. The grunts on the stage began to back away. Yeah. They knew what was coming.

"Now. First of all." Axel began as I slid down his dragon's back. "Contests are NOT a sham." He began walking ever so slowly towards the man making the very loud speech. His smile slowly faltering with every step he took. "And if you call them that again, so help me God, I will smack you. You hear me? I don't think you're hearing me! Well let me make myself clear." Axel grabbed the scruff of the Plasma member's neck and picked him off the ground. Yikes. Guess with great anger comes great strength for Axel's spindly little arms. "CONTESTS ARE AN EXPRESSION OF A POKEMON'S INNER BEAUTY! YOU DARE INTERRUPT A CONTEST? YOU THINK I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU, YOU PLASMA (Expletive)? A POKEMON BEAUTY CONTEST IS LIKE A BUFFET TO YOU PEOPLE! I HAD KENYA UP THERE JUST WAITING FOR YOU (Expletive)!"

Now that he mentioned it, Flareon's performance earlier had shown the shadow of a figure up there. Wow. Axel sure was prepared. Overprepared if you ask me. It's like he knew this would happen. Hey, at least the tides were turning. And Axel cemented that point by releasing another pokeball. His Butterfree's.

"Bardo! Sleep Powder!" The insect nodded and flapped his wings just once, releasing an emerald green powder into the Hyper Voiced grunt's face. His body went slack. And then the creepiest event of the day happened. And that includes Snivy's first glare at me. Axel's glare. He turned to where the audience once sat, where all the grunts were. Each and every one began to sweat, and I heard each and every tooth start to chatter. "Start running!"

And boy did they run. One look at Axel (oh and Kenya too I guess) and they were clicking their heels up in terror. And they would've gotten away with it too. Had another shadow not dropped from the roof. I cringed as it touched ground right next to me. But I calmed down quick. It was his Dewott. And he was no slouch. He immediately grabbed his scalchops and began to twirl them.

"_I'm not afraid to use these!" _He said as the approaching peons began to have second thoughts about taking a vacation from crime. Considering the guard, I saw the lack of appeal.

I got it. This was easier than I thought it would be. I dashed out of my hiding place, now knowing these Plasma freaks had other duties to attend to. Yippee! I didn't have to deal with evil teams today! I flew past these guys and leaped onstage. Axel gave me a confused glance before I pulled back the curtain and rushed down the dark hallway. I tore open the metal door I found at the end of it. And all I could do when I emerged in the next room was blink confusedly.

"Give that back!" Alicia screeched as she chased after the Snivy in the locker room. And there was no chance of capture. Snivy had certainly helped all right. She'd held up her part of the bargain no problem. Her vines were extended, and they were clasping Alicia's metal claw device. She was bounding throughout the room, a smile on her face as she outwitted the girl at every turn. And boy was Alicia steamed. I don't think I've ever felt so satisfied.

"H-Hey Snivy!" Snivy looked at me as she jumped to the opposite side of the room. Her smile faded, but she kept up the defensive. For a second, it looked like Alicia had her cornered. The Plasma flunkie pounced. And Snivy simply shrugged, jumped on her head and used it for leverage. She jumped once more so that she was about a foot from me. She handed me the device and turned away. I took it. Phew. I could finally stop holding my breath. I had the claw in my hand, so without further ado I clicked the trigger and released all three pokeballs. Oh, that's right. Speaking of pokeballs, I took Snivy's out and handed it to her. "Here. A deal's a deal."

Snivy took the ball, albeit a little hesitantly. It's like she was confused about it or something. Maybe it was that I had actually concluded our deal as we agreed. I wanted to reassure her. Maybe restore a little of her hope in humanity. But no, Alicia has to ruin everything good in this world, doesn't she?

"YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY?" She screeched as I stepped past Snivy and got ready for the battle to come. "YOU SICK THAT THING ON ME AND THEN YOU JUST LET IT GO? And you call me crazy? You're an idiot!"

"As you make explicitly clear with every word you say. Need we battle? After all, Axel's handling your doufus cohorts out there. So you really don't have an escape plan, do you?"

"Escape? Pfft! As if! SANDILE!" She tossed her pokeball, and I was once again staring at Joel's would-be murderer. Best not to bring him out for this one.

"Come on! Why the hell are you doing this? I haven't done anything!"

"That's bull and you know it! You stopped me! You saw my face! You even got my name!"

"Well technically, you gave me that last one."

"SHUT UP YOU MISERABLE BRAT! GIVE ME ONE REASON I SHOULDN'T JUST-!"

She never finished that sentence. I never learned how she would've finished it. Because the least probable thing to happen did. It wasn't the noise of the object opening that made my heart stop. It wasn't the sudden weight that had been added to my shoulder that made my sweat glands work overtime. And it wasn't the smell of pokemon food on his breath that made me cringe. No. I said everything would change on this day. And they did. With four deadly words.

"_Hey Bro?" _Tony asked. _"I'm hungry."_

**End of chapter eleven!**

**Hey guys. Sorry about how bad this chapter is. I know, it's way too long, I did too much at once, I'm sorry. And I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Next week's chapter will be constructed better, I promise. Weekly updates are actually hard to keep for me. In fact, it's one 'o clock on Thursday night as I finish this chapter right now. I admit, I could've made this better. But I'm afraid I must use time constraints as my excuse. I shouldn't be making excuses at all. Y'know what? One week from today, when I release chapter twelve, I promise. It will be the best chapter I've ever written.**

**So, to make up for it, I'll put one more extension on the OC submissions. Next week, we're done with 'em I'm afraid.**

**Anyway, it seems Tony wasn't Black's secret for very long. What could possibly happen next?**

**Black: ...I'm gonna get hurt next chapter...aren't I?**

**Oh Black...yes.**

**Black: Awwwwwwww.**

**Oh don't worry. I'm sure once you see the title for the next chapter, it'll put your heart at ease.**

**Next Chapter: T-**

**Black: NO! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! **

**(Walks off)**

**Huh. Chicken. Hey Snivy!**

**Snivy: What?**

**You still wanna sing?**

**Snivy: I've been waiting for you to ask me that this whole time!**

**Oh. How long-?**

**Snivy: TOO LONG!**

**Okay. Here you go people. As a special treat for you, Snivy will be singing you the song that she thinks sums her up in a nutshell. Otherwise known as 'You Can't Take Me' by Bryan Adams. Take her away my friend.**

_**Snivy: **__**You can't take me,  
>Yeah!<strong>_

**_Got to fight another fight._**  
><strong><em>I gotta run another night.<em>**  
><strong><em>Get it out,<em>**  
><strong><em>check it out,<em>**  
><strong><em>I'm on my way and I don't feel right.<em>**  
><strong><em>I gotta get me back.<em>**  
><strong><em>I can't be beat and that's a fact.<em>**  
><strong><em>It's OK.<em>**  
><strong><em>I'll find a way.<em>**  
><strong><em>You ain't gonna take me down no way.<em>**

**_Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it!_**  
><strong><em>Don't push me!<em>**  
><strong><em>I'll fight it!<em>**  
><strong><em>Never gonna give in,<em>**  
><strong><em>never gonna give it up, no.<em>**  
><strong><em>If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it.<em>**  
><strong><em>You can't come uninvited.<em>**  
><strong><em>Never gonna give in.<em>**  
><strong><em>never gonna give it up, no.<em>**  
><strong><em>You can't take me,<em>**  
><strong><em>I'm free!<em>**

**_Why did it all go wrong?_**  
><strong><em>I wanna know what's going on,<em>**  
><strong><em>And what's this holding me?<em>**

_**(Snivy clutches her chest, where her heart is.)**_

_**I'm not where I'm supposed to be,  
>I gotta fight another fight!<br>I gotta fight with all my might!  
>I'm getting out, so check it out!<br>You're in my way!**_

_**(An image of Black pops into Snivy's head.)**_

_**Yeah, you better watch out.**_

**_Oh, come on!_**

**_Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it!_**  
><strong><em>Don't push me,<em>**  
><strong><em>I'll fight it!<em>**  
><strong><em>Never gonna give in,<em>**  
><strong><em>never gonna give it up, no.<em>**  
><strong><em>If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it!<em>**  
><strong><em>You can't come uninvited!<em>**  
><strong><em>Never gonna give in!<em>**  
><strong><em>never gonna give it up, no,<em>**  
><strong><em>You can't take me!<em>**  
><strong><em>I'm free!<em>**


	12. To Tame a Snivy, Part One

**Hey guys, guess what! We've hit 100 reviews! YAY! (Sure most of them have been just an OC submission with no feedback whatsoever, but who cares?) And to celebrate, I give you a DOUBLE UPDATE! YIPPEE!**

**Review Responses: The Pinball Wizard - Yeah, no worries. I got your OC.**

**harison86 - Uh...didn't you want an Axew?**

**awyeah21 - If it's not a word, then I'm going to have to rethink my place in the universe.**

**The Observer 00 - Thanks for reassuring me of that. I worry about length only for the sake of my extremely picky readers, of which I thankfully have very few. Also, yeah. I noticed the pattern with the trainer/coordinator OC's. Oh well, can't do much about it. Oh, and something tells me Black'll have a little more than six pokemon. But hey, I can't predict the future.**

**Chapter 12: To Tame a Snivy, Part One**

"YOU?" Alicia screamed in shock. "YOU'RE THE SAP WITH VICTINI?"

"Uhhhhhhh." I felt my face twitching sporadically. Oh this was bad. Very bad indeed. Tony had no sense of timing. But on the other hand, I also had no sense of when to quit. As such, I quickly shoved my hat onto Tony's head in an attempt to hide him. Yeah, somehow I could see why Snivy thought I was incompetent.

"GRAAAH! NO ONE MAKES A CHUMP OUTTA ME! Sandile use Bite!"

"Whuh-oh! Tony use Confusion!" Sandile charged while I took my hat off Tony so he could aim. Tony focused hard, but Sandile kept coming. And when I realized why, I could've smacked myself. "Oh right! Dark type!"

"Idiot! Don't you know anything? Now it's mine!"

"Uh-huh. And what if I do this?" Without hesitation I tossed Tony into the air. And with no other target, Sandile sank his fangs into my arm. "GAH!" I screamed as I fell back. Those fangs were sharper than thorns. I knew I would be bleeding after that strike. But it was all worth it if it meant getting Alicia out of my face. I grabbed onto Sandile's snout, refusing to let him unhinge his jaw, even though my arm felt like it was about to split open.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"This! Tony! Use Flame Charge and roast this crock!" Tony nodded midair and aimed his head towards Sandile on his descent. His body immersed itself in flames and struck Sandile like a meteor, snapping him off my arm. "You just think I'm gonna let you take my best pal and do who knows what to him? Well you got another coming girlie!"

"Grr. You are the most difficult person I've ever met!"

"Oh I'm not the worst, trust me. Ever met a guy named Yuki?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Yeah. With that kind of mouth, you've definitely met Yuki."

"Oh for the love of- USE PURSUIT!" Sandile's eyes began to glow purple. And I took that as my cue to get my game on. Of course, maybe I should get my game on with Witt instead of the vulnerable Tony.

"Tony return!" I snatched up his luxury ball and aimed the beam of red light at my pal. But as he was recalled by becoming one with the recall energy, Sandile used Pursuit and swiped a claw at the energy itself. Suddenly the recalling sequence ended and Tony gained form again, flopping over at my feet. Gulp. I just realized that my pokemon had never actually suffered an attack at this Sandile's hands. And he was pretty strong. I had forgotten that Pursuit was a move that followed the enemy before he or she reached their pokeball. And as a result, it was my fault that Tony was now a fainted pokemon.

"Moron. I was clearly using Pursuit and you actually tried to bring it back to the pokeball? Nice." Alicia reached behind her back. I scratched my head at that. It looked like she was trying to reach for something. But in a second her smug little smirk dropped. She desperately grabbed into the pouches and pockets in her Plasma uniform, obviously looking for something specific. My head clicked, and her smug smile became my smug smile. I couldn't help but grin. I knew what she wanted.

"Looking for this?" I said as I held up her metal claw device. She turned her head up and clenched her teeth. It was too funny. She'd actually forgotten that Snivy had taken it. "HA! I clearly have it and you're searching yourself for it? Nice."

"DON'T MOCK ME!"

"Why not? Tony return! For real this time!" I figured that the time during Alicia's rants was the perfect one to recall Tony during. Since she was completely distracted with her own problems, I was all good. I got him back to his ball without a hitch this time. Buy unfortunately, Alicia just wouldn't accept anything less than utter destruction for me.

"GIVE ME THAT BALL AND MY EXTENSO!"

"Extenso? That's what you call this thing? Talk about your corny weapon names!" I laughed as I took another glance at the 'extenso'. "And why exactly should I give it back? It looks nifty if you ask me."

"I MADE IT! IT BELONGS TO ME! SANDILE! USE THIEF!"

"Crap!" I should really cut the witty lines when I'm being assaulted. Especially when it's a move that steals items from your opponent. Sandile was getting a sneaky grin. I turned to run, but the croc was actually pretty quick. He zipped between me and the exit, making me stop in my tracks. He jumped at me and instead of faacing the music. I ran away like a chicken. Hey, I wasn't gonna let that hit me. The Bite hurt hard enough thank you very much. I snatched up a pokeball quick and tossed it. I didn't care which one it was, so long as I was back in this fight.

_"Whoa!" _Witt yelled as he emerged in the path of the Thief attack. Sandile tackled Witt, knocking him over. And in the confusion, Sandile snatched Witt's scalchop in his claws. Witt got up quick, shaking his head to recover from the assault. And then he got mad. With a furrowing brow, Witt reached for his scalchop...and screamed. No seriously, he screeched like a banshee when he realized his scalchop wasn't where he left it. His head turned in any which direction to find out who took it. He even checked under his tail before Sandie made it abundantly clear where his weapon of choice was. By throwing it at him. It seems to be a thing with Witt. if he loses his scalchop, odds are it'll be used against him. The shell hit the otter in the face, knocking him off his feet. Then, just as he was getting his vengeful grin, his scalchop was still on the descent. It hit him in the face. Needless to say, he was no longer grinning after that.

Sandile snickered at Witt's humiliation. But that might've been the worst thing he could possibly do. Witt snapped into action. He got up, snagged his scalchop and turned back to Sandile. And I'm not kidding here. He began to cackle. Hold me.

_"Hee hee hee hee hee. HA HA HA HAAA!" _Um, remind me. Was it Witt or Yuki who was the sadist?

"Uh...Use Razor Shell...please?" I hesitated. It's not a good sign when you fear the pokemon who doesn't want to kill you. But nevertheless, Witt got Razor Shell up and ready. He jumped, getting ready to slice up the Sandile something good.

"Sandile return!" Or not. Alicia was quick in calling back her thieving little scamp. In the meantime, _my_ thieving little scamp had impacted the earth where Sandile once was using his Razor Shell. I swallowed hard. he had made a dent...in the steel floor. And to make things even more strange, Witt was still laughing maniacally. Okay, no more pokemon food with sugar for him. "Frillish! Go!"

I hadn't known that she had a second pokemon. But today, I was getting a crash course in Alicia's techniques. But before I get into those, I had to scratch my head at the creature before me. I've heard of Frillish, but the books really didn't do this one justice. This pokemon resembled a large blue jellyfish. As well as something else that I couldn't quite identify. He looked...royal. His round head was donned with a crown-like tuft as well as an odd distraught face. He had five smooth 'tentacles' with two that I assumed acted like his arms and the other three just swaying in the wind.

"Frillish! Use Water Pulse!" A sphere of water built up at the tip of Frillish's head. And once it was about the size of his head, it fired at Witt, at top speed.

"Gah! Witt dodge! And use Razor Shell!"

"No dice! Use Wring Out!" Like a snake, Frilllish slunk around behind Witt and reached out with his tentacles. Witt jumped to dodge the Water Pulse, but that left him open for Frillish's tentacles to wrap around him. The jellyfish squeezed him like a sponge. Now that was certainly a move worthy of being called Wring Out. I was cringing in pain just looking at it. Frillish dropped him, leaving the dazed Witt to stumble around aimlessly. But matters were much worse than that. Frillish had dropped him right in the line of fire of the Water Pulse. The giant ball of water slammed right into him, knocking him for yet another loop.

_Just a water attack. We can work through it. _I thought. And I was about to order a Razor Shell before I started to panic. Witt was still tumbling over his feet, confused. But the difference was, he had this dumb grin on his face. It took me about two seconds for me to realize just what had happened and it made me flinch. "Ah no! Water Pulse!"

"Hmph! That's right. It confused that little fool of an Oshawott! Use Night Shade!" Frillish's eyes began to glow an ominous purple energy. And then he fired the energy from his eyes, like laser beams at Witt. And Witt was helpless before him. The beams made their mark, and Witt cried out in pain. It looked like a purple lightning attack had just struck the otter, and it wasn't until the energy faded that Witt fainted.

I couldn't believe it. I must've gotten lucky last time. This girl seriously meant business. In fact, I did get lucky last time. Joel had only gotten as close as he did because...well...Sandile tried to eat him. And I doubt Alicia would make that mistake again. I was right earlier. She must've known Yuki. Because I felt like I was in the same position I'd been in with him. An impossible situation. I couldn't get out of this one.

"Ha! I knew it! You're just another rookie kid! Listen idiot." Alicia was just gloating at this point. I could tell from the voice, the toothed grin and the arrogant pose. "Since our last battle, I've been training up. I've been gathering a team of pokemon for the sole purpose of fighting and taking down Victini. But now that I've seen what a wimp its trainer is, I didn't even need to do that!"

"Excuse me?"

"Grow a brain stupid. I've had training from no one but the best. I know battles inside out. And if you knew them that why, you would know that I have more than just Frillish and Sandile. Even if you deal with them, I'll have even more pokemon that you'll have to go through. Face it kid, I've already won. Revenge is certainly sweet, isn't it?"

"Tch." This was bad. Joel was my only option left. And odds were, he'd be sleeping when he came out of his pokeball. Typical Joel. Aw man. It was no good. She was right. When I started this thing, I didn't picture this. I pictured many victorious poses, catching a new pokemon every day, have a little fun, et cetera. But no, I had to be caught up in this whole mess. Well, no matter which way I looked at it, I was officially in it when Tony had announced his no doubt dire need for food right in front of Alicia. And it was that spunky little attitude that I had to protect. So without even a little consideration of how screwed I was, I grabbed Joel's pokeball. "Go Joel!"

"Oh dear Lord, you're still going?" I ignored her as Joel's pokeball snapped open and I returned Witt to his. He began to form into himself, and I just prayed that he was awake as I called for-

"Electro Web!" Joel shined through, fully alert and spat Electro Web at the floating jellyfish pokemon. Frillish moved to dodge, but luckily the web was fast enough to catch him on the limp tentacle. Once it contacted, the electricity surged into Frillish, making him collapse to the floor. "Now Electro Ball!" With a glare at the water type he was about to fire upon, Joel prepped Electro Ball and released it with gusto. The Electro Web was still shocking Frillish, which made him nothing but a bull's eye. So close...so close...and then...

"Frillish return!" Oh, that was just a cop out. I don't care what you say. Unfortunately, Alicia got the bright idea to switch out. She took Frillish off the field, leaving Electro Ball to stay its course before impacting with the wall and leaving a small smoking crater. She held up another pokeball and smirked. I decided right then and there to take up teeth grinding. I was two seconds away and she (no pun intended) stole our thunder. And for a moment, I was tempted to reach for Alicia's 'extenso' as she called it. Maybe snatch up that pokeball before she got a shot at throwing it. But I tore myself away. No matter what situation I was in, I wouldn't resort to her level. Stealing. Not something I endorse.

Unless I didn't actually steal it. I put a finger to my chin as I thought. _Hmm. When I got away from Yuki..._

"Alright! Sandile, time for your-" She never finished that sentence. Because with a lightning-swift hand, I grabbed the extenso that I had placed in my bag and pulled the trigger on the handle. Luckily, I was right and that made it extend. As it moved closer to her pokeball, I held down the red button on top of the handle, which opened the three-pronged claw up wide. The shocked Alicia didn't react, and the device closed its fingers around her pokeball. I let go of the trigger and it snapped back into position before me. "H-HEY!"

"Relax! I'm not like you! I don't take people's friends from them because I feel like it! You want your pal back right? Well guess what, I don't stoop to your tactics of taking them and calling them yours." I pointed the extenso to the far side of the locker room and extended it to its full capacity. "I've got my own tactics!" I dropped the ball, letting it fall to the floor with a 'clang'.

"Pfft! You think I'll just run after that thing so you can get away? Not likely. I'll just use another." She reached into a side pocket of her 'poncho' and I could do nothing else but smirk. Since I was getting pretty talented with my new toy, I decided to use it once more. Like a cowboy and his revolver, I drew my weapon and fired at that pocket. The claw clamped around the entire surface of that pocket. Alicia couldn't get her hand in there with such a tight grip. I gave the gadget a yank and tore that cheap poncho's pocket off as if it were made of tissue paper. I released the trigger and it pulled back, pocket with pokeballs, the whole package. Methinks this girl should be a little less assuming with how obvious she makes the placement of her pokeballs.

"Ha! What did you make that uniform out of? Chewing gum? Heh." I squeezed the rough and torn piece of clothing between my fingers for a second before tossing it across the room like last week's laundry. Alicia gritted her teeth. She knew the moment she went for those pokeballs, I'd be out that door in a heartbeat. And odds were, she wouldn't resort to plain old fist-fighting. Her arms were a little too skinny for that. For the time being, we just stood there, waiting for one of us to make a move. And I figure we would've stayed that way indefinitely had it not been for what happened next.

"Alicia!" A Plasma grunt burst in through the door. Our eyes were instantly on him. And geez, he was in a panic. And he wasn't the only one. Even from down the hall, I could hear cries of confusion and disorientation. I could hear the shuffling of feet and crashing objects, possibly the seats in the audience. "We got to leave! Now!"

"What? No! I was just about to-!"

"You don't understand! There's a police agent out there! We managed to set off a smoke bomb but it won't last! We need to go!"

"Are you serious? You were supposed to deal with any problems that could happen! God, I can't believe this!"

"Regardless, police are coming! We've got to go! NOW!"

"Aw, and I was just beginning to have fun." I said sarcastically with crossed arms. This was even better than I hoped. It was in her best interest to leave as fast as possible. Which meant Joel and I were in the clear. So long as she followed that need to vacate the premises before she could be arrested.

Alicia clenched her fists. It was obvious she had no choice in the matter. In fact, Joel had grown confused with such a large gap between fights. And he'd decided to take a break and crawl up to my jacket so he could get a static snack. I didn't mind since I knew we were almost out of the woods. But still, it put a smile on my face to see Alicia squirm in frustration. Satisfaction is sweet.

"Listen up loser." Alicia said through her still gritted teeth. "I'll be back." She raised a fist above her head. "So get ready. Because the moment you showed me that Victini, you unleashed hell. I hope you realize that!" She uncurled her fist and my face got hot. She was dropping something to the floor. It was round, night-sky black and around the size of a thimble. But I wasn't too concerned until it hit the floor. Then all hell broke loose. And I'm not just saying that because she did.

_"BOOM!" _Like a bomb, the infinitely tiny orb exploded upon impact with the floor. And when it did, the room was suddenly filled with a thick black smoke. The mere sound wave of the thing knocked my hat clean off. I kept one hand around Joel and one hand clasped around Tony's luxury ball. If Alicia was gonna try something, it would be while I was dazed and confused. I opened my eyes and found that nothing but smoke now clouded my vision. I couldn't see a thing. I closed my eyes right away. My eyes stung like they'd been squirted into with lemon juice. And while dealing with that problem, I inhaled the stuff, leading to my throat exploding in coughs. I couldn't open my eyes, but I sure could hear the metallic door slam. And with no coughs except for my own in here, I assumed that was it. I ran toward where I estimated the door to be. My throat was taking a lot of punishment, and it wasn't until I got out and took a breath of fresh air that it found relief. I opened my eyes up wide. Alicia was nowhere in sight. Well, I'll give her this. She's quick on her feet.

"You okay Joel?" I asked the insect as I brought my hand away from his trembling form.

_"Y-Y-Yes...I s-suppose." _That was good. Joel was an easy scare. And he certainly wasn't afraid to admit it. I patted him on the head. I expected him to be a nervous wreck by the time this journey was over.

I let out a sigh of relief. I was done with her. For now at least. Either an entire colony of butterflies decided to migrate into my stomach, or I was getting anxious. No matter how you looked at it, I was in trouble. There was one thing I was expressly told NOT to do. And that was let Team Plasma know where Tony was. The one condition, and I broke it before I even had two gym badges to show my experience. I had clearly lost that battle. If it came down to it, I would always have to run. My hands were shaking again. Alicia seemed pretty serious about kicking my butt. And boy, was I ever not ready for her. She just made that abundantly clear. Between the time I had last fought her and now, she'd been catching pokemon and training them. And what had I been doing? Checking out contests. And they served no discernible purpose to my journey. All sorts of things were running through my head as I walked down the hall. I pulled back the curtain at the end and stepped back through to the auditorium.

I really need to think things through. Smoke filtered into my nostrils and I was left to start coughing again. And you know the funny thing? The whole place was empty. My mouth dropped open. No I'm serious, it had been completely vacated. And it didn't take a genius to figure that quite the ruckus had taken place here. Seats had been torn right out of there placements and thrown halfway across the place. The stage I was walking on was a jungle of ash and cracks. It's like a meteor had struck it. And just out of curiosity, I turned around to take a look at the jumbo tron...and backed away immediately. Yikes. That thing looked like it would fall and squish me any second now. It was as if someone had taken a giant boxing glove and punched out the screen. There was a giant hole in it, and the inside was smoking.

"Well, look on the bright side Kenya." I heard a very familiar voice say from behind me. "It's not like we have to clean up here."

_"You're just saying that because you're the one who ordered the attacks." _Looks like it wasn't as empty as I thought. I turned around, though not with much fear since I knew the voice. Axel and his Dragonite stood in the middle of the carnage, their backs facing me. Axel was rubbing the back of his head, like he was embarrassed about something. _"Don't try to pin this on me."_

"Details, details." Axel responded. I grimaced when I saw what happened next. Kenya smacked him in the back of the head. Yikes. And I knew that dragon was tough. That had to hurt. "BAHAHAHA!" Or not. Random laughing seemed to be his thing when he was overjoyed.

"Uh...excuse me...Mister Igaul?" My face was feeling warm again. How exactly do you talk to your hero?

"Oh, hey there Blackster." Axel said with a wave as he turned around. "And Axel's the name. Don't you forget that now."

"Gah! Yeah, sorry! Uh...what exactly went down in here?"

"Right. That. Well, being the genius I am, I figured Plasma might show up."

"Why was that?"

"Hello? Pokemon contests are their bread and butter. I mean, if you were on the Plasma side of life, you'd hate seeing pokemon dressed up and judged based on their appearance too. Came prepared I did. Of course, if I knew they had smoke bombs, I might've been able to actually make an arrest. Then the battling started...and this is the result. Needless to say, Kenya here went a little overboard."

_"No I didn't." _Kenya replied and gave another smack to Axel's head. _"You did."_

"Like I said. Details. Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Wait..." I just realized. There was something odd about their conversation. What was it? Oh yeah. THEY WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION.

My mouth was agape. On the one hand, joyous day! I wasn't the only freak here! But on the other, how was it possible? Maybe I was mishearing. But I shook that thought off in a second. I wasn't alone as a human that could talk to pokemon. But I didn't know what to say. Axel was just staring at me as my face became a cross of both giddiness and horror at what I could possibly say. Axel was talking to that Dragonite. He was carrying on the conversation. There was no miscommunication.

"YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HIM?"

"Huh? Oh...was I talking in front of people again? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yikes. I had to wonder if he did that whenever he finished a sentence. "Yeah, I can hear what pokemon say. What's it to 'ya?"

"No no. You got me all wrong. I can do it too."

"Really?" Axel crossed his arms, keeping his smug grin.

"Yeah! I can. Kenya just said that he didn't and you did, right?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't exactly take a pokemon whisperer to figure out."

"No I totally can! C'mon I'll prove it! Kenya say something-urp!" Scratch that plan. The dragon's eyes began to narrow, and he was growling at me. I started backing away. Yeah, being crushed by a jumbo tron seemed better than getting torn apart by that Dragonite.

"Stop being rude!" This time it was Axel's turn to do the smacking. Kenya may have been his best friend, but that didn't stop him from jumping up giving him a blow to the back of the head. "Sorry, he has a knack for being impolite."

"Um...right. But I-I-I really can hear what he's-"

"Calm down Blackster. I believe you. But somehow, I don't think our abilities are quite the same."

"Huh? What does that mean? Look, you can talk to pokemon. I can talk to pokemon. I think that pretty much-"

"You haven't changed...physically since this started happening, right?"

"Uh...yeah...obviously. But I don't see how that changes anything."

"BWAHAHAHA! I knew it. Sorry, but we're completely different. I know why I can talk to pokemon. Somehow, I don't think you're in the same boat."

"But-"

"Black. I don't know why you can speak to 'em. It's a mystery, really. Tell me, what is it like, when a pokemon talks to you?"

"What is it...like?"

"Do they speak in a different tone? Is the translation word for word? What?"

"Well, it's kinda weird." Oh God. You don't know how relieving it was to talk to someone about this. I'd been freaked out for so long about this. Why was it I could talk to them? I couldn't know for sure. But maybe Axel had some answers for me. He seemed to be at the pinnacle of weird as well, so why not? "I can hear what some are saying, like Tony and my new pals Witt and Joel, they're an Oshawott and a Joltik. But I met this Snivy and I can't catch a word of what she's saying."

"Hmm. So you can hear some, but not all?"

"Yeah. It'd be weird enough if I was just hearing them, period."

"Seems to me there's a certain factor that pokemon need to have before you can know what they're saying."

"A factor?"

"Yeah. Like maybe you can only hear a certain type of pokemon?"

"No, that can't be right. I've been hearing all types."

"Hmph. That is odd. But you know, there's one thing you can do about it." Axel started walking towards me.

"Yeah? Wh-What's that?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Say again?"

"Lemme put it this way. Isn't having a good talk with your best pals in the world cool?"

"Well yeah, of course, it's just-"

"How do you think I've gotten as far as I have? Because me and my pals always know what's on each other's minds. Seriously, I don't even think I could've gotten even one gym badge if my pals and I weren't in sync."

"Take me and Kenya here. We grew up together. Albeit, he grew a little more than I did, considering he was once just a little Dratini. And I can't imagine us not being able to talk to each other. We're bros for life, hear me?"

"Yeah." Funny, he actually said the word 'bro'. You know, Tony's favourite word. And come to think of it, I did enjoy talking with Tony and Witt and Joel of course. I mean, it was always good to hear Tony say he was hungry. Except when it was in front of Alicia. "Wait, that's right! Axel, I messed up!"

"Messed up? How exactly could you have messed up?"

"I WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF A PLASMA MEMBER AND TONY CAME OUT OF HIS POKEBALL AND NOWI'MSOSCREWED!"

"Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. You're talking too fast."

"I...I...I failed. Tony came out of his pokeball...right in front of this girl Alicia. She's from Team Plasma...and..."

"Gotcha. Say no more." I gulped. I wondered what would happen next. Maybe, just maybe, he'd take away Tony from me. I was starting to sweat at the thought of it. He may have been draining my food money, but he was still my best buddy in the entire world. And still, if I refused to hand him over, he'd be in more danger than ever. I was still no match for Alicia. "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Your face says a lot about what you're thinking. Relax would you? I'm not taking Tony away from 'ya."

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" I screeched when I heard those butterflies in my stomach finally flew away.

"You're welcome. But that still leaves us with the fact that Team Plasma knows where Tony is. Which means we're going to have to do something about that."

"Well, what did you have in mind."

"Black." Axel adjusted his glasses, suddenly getting serious. "Would you like me to travel with you for a while?"

"Huh? You serious?"

"Yeah, of course. By the look on your face, I'd wager Tony's not strong enough to fend off your opponents yet. And if that's the case, then you'll be needing a bodyguard. I could tag along and keep any Plasma peons at bay. Think about what's best for Tony, and for yourself. Team Plasma is quite serious when it comes to accomplishing their goals. They've even tried taking my friends. Of course, Kenya gave them a Dragon Claw to the face, but that's not the point. Point is, now that they know, they aren't gonna stop hunting you."

I looked down at my shoes. I knew it.

"But if I travel along with you, then-"

"NO!" I shouted, interrupting Axel and resulting in him shutting up with surprise. I glanced at him and expected him to smack me for interfering with his speech. But that's just not Axel.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Well, there went the suspense of it. "No? If that's the answer, I won't complain. But why?"

"Well." I considered. It would've been a good idea to have him tag along. After all, he could beat Alicia and then some. I was sure of it. But there was something he hadn't considered. "I can't have someone protecting me anytime I get in trouble. I mean, if that were the case, then I'd never really get stronger."

"Hmm. You've got a point there."

"Which is why I can't have anyone who's way too experienced travelling with me. I wouldn't get any experience. And Tony and the others wouldn't be able to grow on their own. So...with all due respect-"

"I got it. No need to worry." Axel patted me on the shoulder. And considering how rough it was, I just knew I'd be growing a bruise there. "Y'know, there was a lot of people who said I couldn't do anything on my own. And they were kind of right. I did it with my pals. I understand completely. Just...stay away from Plasma, would you?"

"Y-Yeah. Axel...thanks."

"Chill out. Be yourself. Grow strong. Oh, and if you do find yourself in a jam, take this. One of those Plasma dorks dropped it." Axel held out his hand. My eyes were drawn to it instantly and my reflexes had me pull back before I took it into my own hand. It was a little black sphere. The one Alicia had dropped back in the dressing room. Cool. First the extenso, now this? I was getting some awesome new toys. "And say. Are you really serious about being strong on your own?"

"Of course I am! I don't think I've ever been more serious!"

"Alright, alright. Relax. But if you think you're ready for this trainer business. Then I'd like to give you one more thing." Axel took off his bag and began to search through it. He had his tongue stuck out, as if this was an extreme difficulty. "Where was it? Oh, here you go!" Axel handed me a bright red envelope. I took the smooth and thin package into my hands and stared at the front, seeing the words 'your pass' plastered across.

"What's this?"

"It's your pass."

"My pass to what?"

"In exactly three weeks, I'm holding a competition on an island off the coast of Castelia City. There'll be a boat leaving from Prime Pier on that day. I'm inviting as many trainers and coordinators as I can to participate."

"Wow, awesome! A tournament held by Axel Igaul himself!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere. Keep in mind, you need at least three pokemon with you if you want to be in the competition."

"No problem! I already have three!"

"Good. I was going to give that thing to the winner of this contest, but obviously, that plan didn't go so well."

"Oh yeah! What happened to everyone?"

"When the smoke bomb went off, there was a lot of panic. Luckily, two coordinators were smart enough to get everyone out. They were a huge help. Needless to say, the contest's been cancelled. Bummer. It was really starting to get good. I had a feeling that Jennie and Ellen could've really gone at it."

"Yeah? Why those two?"

"They were the best there. In fact, as a way of saying thanks for their help, I gave them both one of those passes. Looks like you'll have some more competition when you get there. Better start training."

"I will. Thanks for everything Axel. By the way, how _can _you talk to pokemon."

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh Black. You'll soon learn that not everything about me isn't as it seems. Also, you might wanna look out for-" Suddenly I felt something hard and metal clonk me in the back of the head. Yipes, I think my skull just cracked. "-that."

"YOOOWCH!" I screamed in pain as I turned around to follow the urge to give my assailant a piece of my mind. And when I did, that urge turned into one that told me to run. Fast. Because there was pokeball on the ground. And the one who appeared to have tossed it at my head was...

Snivy.

"AAAUUUUUUUGH!" I screamed like a girl. But if you saw the look on Snivy's face, you'd screech like a banshee as well. She was glaring at me with cold eyes of pure malice. And her teeth were snarling at me. Me honoring our agreement didn't seem to resonate in her mind. I guess she was back to attacking the nearest trainer she saw. Which just so happened to be me. She was already extending her Vine Whip and grabbing the pokeball she just tossed my way. Uh oh. I had the common sense to know what was coming. I bolted. I dashed right past Axel, right past Kenya and made my way to the exit, fast as I could.

"WHY AREN'T YOU HELPING ME?" I managed to scream back at Axel before I got through the doorway.

"HEY, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WHO WANTED TO TRAVEL ON YOUR OWN! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Oh great. My self confidence comes back to bite me in the butt. Note to self, don't try to be a hero. And the worst part was, Axel found Snivy coming after me with Vine Whips lashing at my heels absolutely hilarious.

_"RUN FASTER...Uh...please?" _I heard Joel say as he clung to my jacket for dear life. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his pokeball, returning him to it in an instant. I didn't need to chat with him while I ran for my life. I could hear and cringe at the sound of those Vine Whips cracking behind me. I flew right through the lobby of the contest hall, feeling the stares of bystanders along the way. I didn't care. I just wanted to get the heck away from Snivy. I was already hustling as fast as I could. And Snivy was still just an inch or two behind. I didn't need distractions like embarrassment.

I barrelled out of those front doors like a maniac. Snivy was right on my tail. And either the people of this town were the most inconsiderate jerks on the planet, or they were just as frightened as me because they were just staring at me without doing anything as I rushed down the steps before the contest hall. I took a right once I reached the bottom, heading down the dirt road, bolting as swiftly as my legs would carry me.

It went on like this for a while.

Snivy had driven me out of town. This snake was determined. I had run out of breath the moment I passed the last of the fence posts, officially emerging onto the next route. But I couldn't stop, even then. Snivy just got more determined. The whips were kicking up the dirt, and I swear I heard them getting closer.

I ran and I ran. And I couldn't exactly send out a pokemon. Tony and Witt still had to be knocked out, and Joel...well...what was Joel gonna do? It's amazing what adrenaline could do, because I could visually see how long I was running from this insane grass type. I knew there was a wilderness route coming up after this town. But I expected to be there by tomorrow. I was there now. Still fleeing from Snivy. I was climbing up a steep incline next to a mountain that hikers could only dream about. And right now I felt like the fastest hiker in the world. My feet already felt like they were bleeding from the rocky terrain I was walking on. But Snivy was relentless.

Do you really want to know how long this went on for? The sky was already orange. And do you think Snivy got tired? No way Jose.

"Come on Snivy! Could you cut a guy a break?" I shouted ovver my shoulder as I continued to dash up the ramp-like surface. Snivy responded by getting better aim and smacking me in the back of the ankles. "OUCH! Sorry I asked! Pleeeeeaaaaaaase!"

"SNIVY!" Snivy clearly wasn't going to stop.

_Oh please. _I prayed. _Please let her stop! I'll give anything! Anything!_

I felt like I'd just learned Flame Charge. Because every muscle in my body was burning. And that included my lungs. Are the lungs muscles? Oh who cares. I needed something, anything that would just make this torture end. I didn't care if I never knew why Snivy was after me. I just wanted her to stop.

_What's that? _I thought to myself as a certain sound beat its way across my eardrums. Somehow I was able to hear it beyond the resounding whips behind me. And it would be evidently clear why I heard the sound of rushing water when I reached the cliff up ahead. It was the height of the incline I had been fleeing on. And Snivy had slowed down enough for me to at least catch my breath before I moved on there. Of course, I was breathless once again when I looked over the edge of the cliff.

It was no wonder I heard that rushing water. There was a river below me. Rushing rapids plagued it, as well as rather large stones that jutted up just above the surface. But even better, this cliff was facing another one. And what do you know? The ledge I happened to be standing on was just a rather long jump from another on the other side. If I could just get enough momentum, I could escape to the other side. Of course, Snivy could follow me easily, but I couldn't worry about that. Snivy still had her pokeball in her hands. And God knows I wasn't trying to retrieve that. Partly because of our deal, and partly because I didn't have a death wish. And she was coming up fast.

I jumped. My hands reached out to the other edge as my brain just realized that this might not have been the best idea. But my momentum was enough and my hands clasped onto the rim of the ledge. The rest of my body hung slack, but I had my grip. I still had a bit of adrenaline, and with it in hand I pulled myself up high enough to get my elbow above the edge.

"HNNNGH!" I exerted as much effort as I could to get both my arms onto the cliff. I did, and my already scorched muscles screamed at me to stop pushing it. Especially my abdomen. My abs felt like they were being torn apart. But with as much power as I could muster, I flipped my legs onto the cliff and let out the breath I'd been holding in all that time. I laid back and gradually caught my breath back. I didn't even care what I was running from anymore.

"SNI!" Now I cared. I stood up on legs that felt like jello. I saw Snivy on the opposite edge, glancing at the river with shifting eyes. But then her glare turned back to me.

_'CRACK!'_

What was that?

_'CRACK' _

Something was breaking.

_'CRACK!'_

Snivy and I were looking around for the source of the noise.

_'CRACK! CRACK!'_

Something broke all right. The ledge Snivy was standing on. It caved in and Snivy went along with it. The pokeball was still in her hands, and she was so shocked by this sudden occurence, she left her vines to go slack. She was falling toward the river with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. She closed her eyes before impact with the water and-

"HOLD ON!" I yelled as I clasped my hands around her falling vine. She stopped falling and her face was now an inch away from the gushing water. The serpent opened her eyes up wide and looked up at me. Her eyes were suddenly sparkling with two things. Confusion and wonder.

_"Why?" _I heard her say as my muscles realized just how much they'd gone through. Geez, they all felt as though they would explode any second.

"Why? That's obvious. I don't like seeing pokemon getting killed. Period." I was able to say that between breaths. Not sure if she caught it or not. Because if she did bring up a reply, I never would have heard it. Why not? Well...

_'CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!'_

And there went my ledge. That's right, I really need to think things through more often. This one was even more brittle than the one Snivy had been standing on. And I surely felt it when it snapped and left me to drop headfirst into the river below. I didn't hold my breath and got a mouthful of water. I flailed around, charging upwards until I got my head above the rushing rapids. I was still trapped in the current but at least I could breathe. My lungs had been through enough exercise thank you very much.

"Snivy! Sni! Snivy!" Snivy's voice reached my ears. And it was easy to see why she wanted it to. She couldn't swim. She was a few feet ahead of me. The cliffs were passing by like wildfire and the current appeared too strong for her to escape it. We were going just way too fast. She could barely keep her head above the water. And to make matters worse, she was headed right for a rock.

"Not on my watch!" I shouted as I started swimming my way over to the grass snake. I was inching closer bit by bit. She may have wanted me dead, but I didn't have that same desire for her. I was almost there, before her head ducked underwater. I clenched my teeth. That rock was closing in fast. So I took a deep breath and followed Snivy under the surface. My eyes stung as I opened them, but it was worth it to see where Snivy was. And she certainly needed my help. She was trying to squirm her way above the surface as best she could, but to no avail. I swam faster. I kicked and stroked and did anything I could to move myself forward. Almost there, and then...yes! I reached out and grasped her in my hands.

I ascended, getting as both above the surface once again. Snivy coughed as I pulled her close to my chest. I kept her above water, making her breathing much easier and the effort my legs had to put up much larger.

The rock was too close now. My reflexes kicked in and-

"GAH!" I roared. Snivy gasped. I had turned around so that the rock would hit my back. And I terribly misjudged how much this would hurt. I think I just broke my spine in half.

_"_Snivy..._that_...sni _me?" _Snivy said as I cringed in pain.

"Yeah. I did do that for you. And this too." With a great deal of pain on my back, I managed to turn around, keeping my elbows pressed against the hard stone so as not to be washed away. I placed Snivy on it, seeing her confused face staring back at me. "Listen Snivy. Sorry I caught you. You obviously didn't want it. But you can reach the ledge from here, right?"

"Sni?"

"You can use Vine Whip and get out." I nodded towards the cliffs above our heads. Snivy looked at the cliff, then back at me.

"Also." I continued, hanging onto the rock with one arm and reaching to my pokeballs with the other. I grabbed all three and placed them next to Snivy. Then I reached for my submerged bag and lifted it onto the solid stone. "Can you take these guys and the egg in my bag with you?"

_"What?"_

"Please. Can you do me that favor?"

_"But...you..."_

"Oh, don't worry about little ol' me. I'm sure there's a shore or something further down the river. Just, could you please let these guys out and tell them I'm down the river?"

_"I can...but I thought...that you..."_

She never finished that. Because right about then, my grip slipped. I was caught in the current again. Snivy slipped out of sight and I was left to deal with a slew of oncoming rocks. No problem, I'd just swim out of the way and-

"Gyah!" Yeah that wasn't going to happen. My back wouldn't allow it. I smacked face first into the quarry of stones. I hit so many rock walls I felt like I was in a pinball machine. Finally I was able to grab hold of one and assess my injuries. Every fibre of muscle, skin, organ whatever screamed for this to end. And so did I for that matter. There was no way this could possibly get worse.

You know, I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. Looking ahead, it did get worse. The good news is that the river did have an end. The bad news was, it was a waterfall. (Sigh) Why do all these things happen to me?

"SERIOUSLY?" I shouted in frustration. I mean, come on. A waterfall? Doesn't this kind of thing only happen in movies and terrible fanfiction? I got my adrenaline back and hung onto the rock for dear life. I hugged it, not letting my grip go for anything. I couldn't see over the edge. it was either very tall or extremely short. And I didn't want to partake in that coin flip. I had to hang on, no matter what.

I repeat. I _really _need to keep my mouth shut. My arms slipped and I tumbled in the water as I headed straight for the falls.

I went over the edge, and blacked out.

**End of Chapter Twelve!**

**Black: YOU THREW ME OVER A WATERFALL?  
><strong>  
><strong>Take it easy, would you?<strong>

**Black: OH YEAH? WHY SHOULD I?**

**(Sigh)**

**Next Chapter: "To Tame a Snivy, Part Two"**

**Black: Well, that doesn't sound so bad.**

**Or as I like to call it: "The Return of Yuki"**

**Black: ...You hate me, don't you?**


	13. To Tame a Snivy, Part Two

**Chapter 13: To Tame a Snivy, Part Two**

I awakened to the sound of a crackling fire. I groaned. I wasn't exactly in proper sleeping conditions. My already beaten skull felt like it was being pried open at the back by whatever hard surface my head was lying on. Forget my head, my whole body was aching just lying there. It felt as though I was lying on a pile of rocks.

And I was! It took me a second of groping around, I felt nothing but a mattress of one hundred percent stone all around. Speaking of hundreds, that's how many rocks I was sleeping on. And they were jabbing directly into my back. Yikes, how stupid was I to fall asleep on those? What could I have possibly been doing to justify-

Oh that was right. I was at the contest, then there was running and then...oh yeah. I headed over the waterfall and...that was it. I had nothing else. After the sudden drop it was a complete blank. And thinking about it just gave me a headache. Or maybe that was my skull. Aching. However, while I may not have been very comfortable I was very warm. And it wasn't just my overstuffed bag that had somehow been strapped around my shoulder once again. I could feel the heat from a crackling fire next to me. Well, it couldn't get any more comfy just lying there, so without further stalling, I opened my eyes. I found myself staring up at a jungle of stars, all glaring back at me with their eerie light.

The crackling of the fire was hardly all I head though. A turn of the head told me all I needed to know about that sound of crashing water. The waterfall. It must've been the one I fell off of. And it was no surprise I passed out. That thing had to be at least thirty feet up! Man, how did I even survive that? Granted, the river below was pretty deep, and I did have a habit of enduring ridiculous amounts of physical strain. Need proof? I've spent all this time with Snivy, and I'm still alive. Proof enough?

_"BRO!" _I heard three excited voices shout before I was rushed. A force as strong as a brick wall hit me in the chest, knocking me back to the earth. It winded me and I had trouble breathing for a few seconds. But when I could, I realized just what that brick wall was. My three pals. Witt, Joel and Tony were now all hugging me as best they could.

"Guys! You're okay!" I shouted as I hugged them back. Man I was glad they were okay. I guess Snivy had been true to her word. She'd been bathed in a new light. And not just the starlight that now illuminated her form to me...wait...SHE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I covered my face in a desperate attempt to avoid the Vine Whips that were sure to come a-lashing.

_"What'cha doin' Bro?" _Tony asked as I trembled in fear of the foot-tall grass snake. Out of curiosity, I spread my arms apart just a bit. I blinked in confusion when I saw what I did. That's not all, what am I saying? I completely put my guard down. I was _that _flabbergasted by this. She was staring at me, with eyes that actually looked...concerned. She was just standing there, her eyes glittering at me as I struggled to sit up. For a moment, I forgot about all the blood that I'd drawn after our previous encounters. All the times she gave me a cracked rib. And for a moment, I saw another side of her. Then I recalled the events prior to this and began awkwardly laughing, maybe easing the tension a little.

"Th-Thanks there Snivy." Snivy blinked, as if coming out of a trance. She turned her head away from me. I wasn't sure, what with the faint amount of light from the fire, but...was her face a tiny bit red? Must've been my imagination.

_"BRO! BRO! BRO!" _Tony still clung to my jacket, looking up at me with his huge and excited eyes. _"You're awake! Awake! Awake!"_

"Yeah. How'd you guys find me, huh?"

_"Tuts over there." _Witt said, pointing to Snivy. _"She was the head of the whole rescue operation."_

"Really?"

_"Yeah. She was the first one to try and save 'ya."_

"Say what? Snivy, that true?" Snivy's eyes widened, and the evidence of redness on her face suddenly became a lot more genuine.

_"Yes." _She answered quickly and rather defensively. It was then I realized that I seemed to be hearing her a lot clearer. Her voice actually had a tone this time, whereas she sounded completely bored with herself on the other occasions.

"Well...thank you."

_"It was...nothing."_

"Well, usually when someone saves my life, it's not nothing to me."

_"Hee hee." _Was that a laugh? She seemed just as surprised as me to hear that because she turned her head even further away from me and covered her mouth. Okaaaay.

_"Say." _Witt's voice suddenly changed as he spoke. No longer did he sound naturally immature. He sounded like he was trying to be...cool, maybe? He approached Snivy with a spring in his step as he decided to take this time to put his most confident and almost smug smile on. _"Bro never told me you were so...shy."_

And that was the end to Snivy's shyness. Vine Whips flew, and before he knew it, Witt was given a blow to the head. He tumbled over, his smirk still plastered across his face as he twitched in pain.

_"Sorry if I insulted you...urk." _Witt said with a pained face. Snivy rolled her eyes and I laughed, even though I knew what that felt like.

_"You...told him...about me?" _Snivy asked, while keeping her face turned away from me.

"Yeah. But only about how strong that right hook of yours is. Trust me, I know."

_"Heh heh." _There it was again. That...oddly feminine laugh. But I couldn't figure out the source. Because it sure wasn't Snivy.

_"WAAAAAAH!" _Tony let out the loudest, saddest and tear-wrenching sob I've ever heard and hugged me as tight as he could. Cute and touching at the same time. I was about to cry myself just watching tears pour out of my best bud's eyes like a fountain.

"What's up Tony?"

_"I thought you were gonna be gone! WAAAAAH!"_

"S'okay. S'okay. I'm all good Tony." I scratched him behind the ears, which did manage to quell the waterworks a little. Aw, he was breaking my heart. He really was, this was really hard to watch. Well, he talked like a small child, so I assumed rocking him might calm him down a little. And...it did. Pretty soon, I couldn't hear any tears. Hey, I was learning. Awesome.

Overall, this was turning out pretty good. There was a nice warm fire that I assumed Snivy had the three set up. Snivy wasn't trying to chop my head off. Tony was warming up to me more than usual. All in all, passing out as I fell over a waterfall hadn't been too bad.

And then...the nightmare came back.

"Aw, wittle baby's tuckered out I see."

Oh crap. My eyes got wide. I knew that voice. My lungs ceased to draw breath and my stomach began to take up gymnastics. Not to mention the fact I was sweating like a pig. Please no. Not that voice. Not that smug, egotistical, arrogant, maniacal, all around snarky-

"You obviously haven't changed kid." Yuki said as his form was slowly revealed in the light of the fire. Still wearing his sunglasses at night. Never would understand that guy's fashion sense. "Still babying your pokemon?"

"Okay, you can insult me all you like, but first. Are you _really _wearing sunglasses? I mean, it is nighttime you know."

"Shut up loser. Looks like you still haven't learned exactly what the score is."

"Well if the points are based on who's crazier, I think you-"

"What part of SHUT THE HELL UP did you not understand?" Rude. "Lucky me. I take a walk and look for some saps I can waste a few hours on, and who do I find but you? The friggin' brat who managed to make an escape."

"And what's wrong with that? Not like I beat you or anything."

"Oh ho ho. You got away. And no one gets away from me."

"Pretty sure we had this discussion last time, but isn't that a cliche? Or a stereotype? I should really think hard about this."

"SHUT! UP! YOU! TWAT!" Yuki snatched a pokeball from his jacket pocket and tossed it right away. I swallowed. This couldn't be good.

And what do you know? I was right. What a shocker. What emerged from that pokeball wasn't Antoine the Scraggy, oh no. What that bright flash of light morphed into was nothing short of death itself. Or maybe that was just my interpretation of it.

It was a dragon. A big green, biped dragon with a striped tail that ended in three 'rhombuses'. The legs were short and also striped in two various shades of green. His head was equipped with two 'antennae' that almost made him look like an insect. His sleek green body had two diamond-shaped wings on the back. I'd tell you about the eyes, but really, I couldn't see them behind the thick red crystalline lenses.

"Crap! Flygon!" I knew this pokemon. Reason? I'll get into that a lot later. Point was, I took out my pokedex with a shaking hand.

_**"Flygon, the Mystic Pokémon. Flygon is the evolved form of Vibrava. It's known as the desert spirit because of the song-like voice that emnates from the sandstorms it kicks up."**_

"Crap! Crap! Crap!" I was lost in an endless mantra as Yuki began laughing. I hate it when crazy people go mad with power. Hell, I hate it when crazy people are near me period. "Crap! Crap! Crap!"

"Payback time. Chomper, use Screech!" 'Chomper' opened his mouth and suddenly, the loudest, ugliest sound I've ever heard erupted from that dragon's maw. The soundwave hit me like a bullet, forcing me to cover my ears. My eardrums were screaming out for release. This was absolute torture.

"GAAAH!" I screamed. I had to do something. But that sound...even as I opened my eyes I saw that Snivy herself was clenching the sides of her head in pain. Geez, if she couldn't take it, I could only imagine how the others were feeling. Especially Tony with those huge ears. I glared at Yuki with only one eye open. Who the hell was this guy? And why was he so obsessed with making me suffer. And would that Flygon glue his trap shut already?

Hey, glue his trap shut! That's it!

"JOEL! SPIDER WEB! SHUT HIM UP ALREADY!" I had my eyes closed since I was flinching from the pain, but from what I could tell, he succeeded when the noise stopped. "FIIIIIINAAALLLY!" I yelled in joy as my ears received the relief they'd sought for. I opened my eyes all the way, seeing...the thing I expected the least. If anything, I thought the Flygon would be muzzled effectively. What I didn't expect to see was Joel captured in the claw of the Flygon, being squeezed tighter and tighter, screeching all the while. "JOEL!"

"Now. Chomper. Do what Antoine was supposed to do last time. Break it!"

"Witt! Water Gun!" Witt blasted a jet of water at the Flygon's claw. While moistening the scales a tad, it appeared to do little else.

"That it?"

"No, this is it! Joel! Slip out!" Joel squirmed and squirmed. And with the dragon's claw as slippery as it was, Joel managed to struggle his way out. And once he hit the ground, he scuttled towards me, faster than the speed of sound. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates. I didn't blame him. He had already had an abnormal amount of close shaves with death. "Phew."

"Think you're clever? Sandstorm!" Chomper flapped his wings, and out of nowhere a tornado of sand began to form. No, really. With one last strong flap, the sand flew right at us like a...well...a sandstorm. My vision was immediately filled with nothing but sand and I had to cover my mouth and eyes.

"Ptheh! Ptheh!" I had to spit out the sand just as quickly as it came into my mouth. Dang it. He knew what he was doing this time. He was using attacks that immobilized us all at once. I shuffled through Tony Witt and Joel's attacks in my head. I couldn't think of anything that could counter this sandstorm. Hell, even if I did, what good would it do?

I lost last time. This guy was too much for me. He beat me in one attack for each and every one of my pokemon. I only landed one hit. And that was because he was distracted. It didn't even do that much damage. All it did was cause enough confusion for me to get away. And even that was total luck. I was done. This Sandstorm would be the end of me. My pokemon were just too inexperienced. And he had a fully evolved dragon pokemon. I was already failing to draw breath. The sand was just too plentiful. I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe. And there was nothing that could change it. Not a thing could save us from-

"What...the...HELL?" I heard Yuki yell as the sandstorm began to fade all around me. I spat out the last of the sand in my teeth before opening my eyes and gaping.

Guess I was wrong. There was something that could stop that Sandstorm. Specifically, a Leaf Tornado. Or, as it looked now, a sand tornado. Snivy was spinning on her head, using Leaf Tornado. And this time, instead of pokeballs, Snivy drew the sand into her vortex. And when Snivy ceased her attack, the sand dispersed, floating harmlessly on the wind.

"Snivy what're you doing?" I asked as Snivy faced the intimidating form of Chomper. No fear or hesitation in her stance.

_"Don't you dare!" _Was she talking to me? _"Don't you dare hurt him!"_

"Oh? Is this a feeble attempt at a comeback?" Yuki asked rhetorically while snickering away. "You really should consider getting better pokemon kid."

_"Oh, he doesn't need anyone better." _Snivy said, resulting in a scratching of the head from me. _"And if you want to keep your wings on, little lizard, I suggest you back off."_

"Snivy?" I said in disbelief.

_"Get out of the way, runt." _Chomper taunted with a bit of a smirk. _"Or do you want to be broken?"_

_"Hm. What a thug. And your language skills are rather...underdeveloped."_

_"Huh?"_

"Snivy, what-?"

_"Aren't you getting it?" _Snivy turned back at me with a little smile that actually made me feel uneasy. Not because it was maniacal. Because it was...sweet. I shook my head. Snivy shook hers in a smug, but still amused manner. _"You're such a doofus. I think this is the part where you tell me which attack to use?"_

"Say what?"

_"You're still confused? I want to battle. Together. With...you." _Okay. now there was definitely red on her face. I smiled.

"Does this mean...what I think it does?"

_"Heh. What do you think, my dear human?" _Remind me, was her face originally green? I couldn't tell anymore. _Oh well_, I thought. That could definitely wait.

"You do realize how tough he is, right?"

_"I may have been confused last time, but I remember it." _Yikes. She actually recalled it. I'd be getting a bruise for that later. _"We don't have to win, do we? We just have to escape."_

"Hey...I think this is gonna work out. Tony, Witt Joel, take five." I returned my three pals to their pokeballs, one by one. The way this was shaping up, I don't think they needed to be out.

"Are you done yet?" Yuki said with arrogant impatience. "Good. DRAGON CLAW! BREAK IT!"

"You may think you can stop us! But you forgot one thing! No matter how far-!"

_"-We reach for the stars!"_

_Black: __Take off, at the speed of sound. Bright lights, colors all around._  
><em>I'm running wild, living fast, and free. Got no regrets inside of me.<em>  
><em>Not looking back (Not looking back)<em>  
><em>Not giving up (Not giving up)<em>  
><em>Not letting go, I'll keep on running.<em>

_(Snivy dodges the Dragon Claw, then using Vine Whip, she ensnares Chomper's neck, using it as a bungee point. She swings around him, grappling using Vine Whip.)_

_I'm gonna reach for the stars. Although they look pretty far._  
><em>I'm gonna find my own way. And take a chance on today.<em>  
><em>The sky with stars so bright. The colors feel so right.<em>  
><em>I've never felt like this, I'll keep on running.<em>  
><em>The sky with stars so bright. The colors feel so right.<em>  
><em>Just take my hand. We're gonna reach for the stars.<em>  
><em>Tonight...<em>

_(Snivy continues to swing around the Flygon.)_

"Sweep the leg Snivy!"

_(Snivy stops swinging and uses elasticity to snap back, plowing right into Chomper's leg and knocking him flat on his back.)_

_Snivy: __Tonight..._

_Wake up living day by day. Do what I want, and I'll do it my way._  
><em>The world is flying right below my feet. Got no regrets inside of me.<em>  
><em>Not looking back (Not looking back)<em>  
><em>Not giving up (Not giving up)<em>  
><em>Not letting go, I'll keep on running!<em>

_(Chomper gets up and swipes at Snivy with Dragon Claws ablaze. Snivy jumps back with Leaf Blade, the two attacks clash. Meanwhile, Black begins to sneak behind Yuki.)_

_I'm gonna reach for the stars, although they look pretty far._  
><em>I'm gonna find my own way, and take a chance on today.<em>  
><em>The sky with stars so bright. The colors feel so right.<em>  
><em>I've never felt like this, I'll keep on running.<em>  
><em>The sky with stars so bright, the colors feel so right.<em>  
><em>Just take my hand, we're gonna reach for the stars.<em>  
><em>Tonight...<em>

_(The two exchange blows, Chomper scoring the upper hand.)_

_Black and Snivy: __Tonight..._

_(Unbeknownst to Yuki, Black is a few feet behind him, shuffling around in his bag.)_

_I've got it in my sight. The colors feels so right._  
><em>Get my feet up off the ground, I'll keep on running!<em>  
><em>Oh, I can feel it now. The colors all around.<em>  
><em>Just take my hand we're gonna reach for the stars...<em>  
><em>Just take the chance (Just take the chance)<em>  
><em>We'll do it right! OH YEAH!<em>

_(Chomper uses Sandstorm, Snivy counters with Leaf Tornado.)_

_We're gonna reach for the stars!_

_(Snivy and Chomper clash once more, Snivy with Leaf Blade, Chomper with twin Dragon Claws. After the two attacks collide, the two stand, staring at each other. Snivy is fatigued while Chomper appears undamaged.)_

_Just take my hand (Just take my hand)_  
><em>Just take a chance tonight!<em>

_(Black brings the extenso out of his bag and begins to aim it carefully towards Yuki.)_

_Reach for the staaaaars!_

_(Snivy drops, fainting.)_

_Black: __Tonight!_

_(Black uses the extenso to snatch the pokeballs from Yuki's jacket pocket from a safe distance.)_

_Tonight..._

"HEY!" Yuki snapped with growling teeth when he realized I just snagged his pokeballs. I snickered, getting Witt's evil grin once again. "I suggest you give those back before I-"

"Now I think you're the one who needs to realize who he's dealing with." I extended the extenso, putting the claw directly over the river. "Once I release this claw, your pokeballs are going in the drink. And then you'll be having some fun looking for them again. like you did back at the dreamyard, remember?"

"Stealing my pokeballs and making me look for them? Is that all you know how to do? Battle for once in your life you f-"

"Hey, don't fix what ain't broke!"

"Are you forgetting something?" Yuki smirked, pointing in the direction of Chomper who had placed his foot above the fainted Snivy. "You do that, and I break it."

"Oh yeah, there's that." I said as I retracted the extenso, giving the illusion of defeat. Yuki began to come forward, and as he did I kept one hand behind my back. This was far from over.

"Hand 'em over. Like a good boy."

"Sorry, being a good boy is not my thing!" I dropped the small black orb Axel had given me earlier. I closed my eyes as the capsule exploded and smoke flooded our location. I heard Yuki start to cough, and I took that as my cue to squint my eyes open. Just for fun, I elbowed him in the chest before moving on to Snivy. Chomper was just as confused at what had happened as Yuki was. Or at least I assumed that considering I could only see his silhouette. But I could also see another. And I picked her up right away.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? CHOMPER GET RID OF THIS FRICKIN' SMOKE ALREADY!" Chomper flapped his strong wings, and the smoke began to dissipate. Slowly but surely, the smoke cleared altogether and Yuki was able to see me back by the fire. Snivy was cradled in my left arm and my right was using the extenso to become my bargaining chip. I had it extended again, right over the river. "YOU LITTLE-"

"Genius? Yeah, that's what I thought." I responded with as snarky a voice as I could make mine. I clicked the red button on the extenso, which made the claw open wide. The pokeballs fell into the river and Yuki was forced to watch as they followed the current down the river. Just as me and Snivy had earlier, but this time, I was enjoying it.

"GRRRR!" I loved this. He was spazzing out. And he didn't know what to do. Beat me, or go after those spheres. And while he made that decision, the pokeballs were getting further away. I was grinning quite smugly now. I knew what he'd do in the end. He may have been sadistic, but certainly not to his own pokemon. "YOU...LITTLE...(expletive)!"

"Uh huh. Have fun now!" Yuki turned and dashed down the riverbed, his Flygon right on his tail. And it wasn't until they were far enough down the road before I tended to Snivy. I shuffled around in my bag desperately, eventually pricking my finger on something sharp. I snatched it up and brought it out into the palm of my hand. It was a small diamond-shaped crystal. A revive crystal. I placed it in Snivy's open mouth with one hand and put the extenso away with the other. Snivy ingested it and after a few seconds of trembling she snapped her eyes open.

"Hey there. Y'okay?"

_"Yes...but...did you really drop those pokemon in the river?" _Snivy asked, suddenly very trusting to still be in my arms and not hitting me.

"Give me a little credit." I said as I reached into my jacket pocket, feeling the cold metal orbs inside. I took them out and showed Snivy who grinned. "I was desperate, not cruel."

_"What did you do?"_

"While the smoke bomb went off, I swapped his pokeballs out for empties. Of course, by the time he figures out that, we'll be long gone."

_"You're not stealing them, are you?"_

"What? No! I'll just be leaving them behind for him to find. 'Course, we don't want to make it too easy, do we?" I propped up a rock with my foot and deftly placed the pokeballs under and let the rock fall. "There. That'll have to do. Now, let's get out of here, huh?"

I ran towards the river. There was a single rock in the middle of it, and it was large enough for me to jump on. With a running start I leaped, landed and slipped. Lucky for me, Snivy was there to use Vine Whip on my little footing and push me back on balance.

"Uh...thanks."

_"My pleasure." _Snivy replied as she transferred herself to my shoulder. I grinned back at her. She really was staying. And she wasn't beating me to a senseless pulp! Two for one! Anyway, we had to get away from Yuki. I made another strong jump, this time landing strong on the opposite side of the river. That done, I dashed into the forest, not looking back even for a second.

"So...Snivy."

_"Yes?"_

"I was wondering...what changed your mind?"

_"Changed my...mind?"_

"Y'know...about me?"

_"Oh." _Snivy turned her head away. I never understood why she did that. _"At first...I thought you were like all the others."_

"Others?"

_"Humans."_

"I see. And me?"

_"You...you're definitely different." _She hugged me. Right round the neck. Now it was my turn to go red. This was pretty sudden. _"I guess, the first time I noticed it, was when you saved that pokemon you didn't even know."_

"Uh...who was that again?"

_"Joltik." _Oh, she must've been talking about when I had gotten Joel out of the way of Tony's Incinerate. I kinda caused that problem so I wouldn't count that, but all the same. _"And then you caught me. And I hated you for doing that. And every time I saw your face I couldn't just...I..."_

"S'okay." I patted Snivy on the head, which surprisingly resulted in a contented smile. Not a blow to the jaw. "I understand. I'd do the same if someone caught me."

_"I'm sorry. I'm...so sorry." _Whoa. She was actually apologizing? Awesome and awkward.

"I said it's okay. I don't blame you."

_"I know. You would say that. Thank you."_

"No problem Snivy."

_"About that."_

"About what?"

_"Could you...call me something else?"_

"Wha-?"

_"You...You call Tony by his name."_

"You...You...want a nickname?"

_"Of course, you doofus." _

"I guess that's my nickname now, huh?"

_"It might change, if I feel like it."_

"Sounds good Iva."

_"Iva?"_

"That's yours. Like it?"

_"Hee hee. Yeah, I love it."_

"Snivy, do you want to talk about why you hated people so much?"

_"I still do...a bit. And...I do. But..."_

"Not yet?"

_"Not yet."_

"That's fine." I laughed, resulting in a confused look from Snivy. "Because I just realized something. I can hear what you're saying now!"

_"You couldn't before?"_

"Well, I caught one or two words. But that was about it."

_"Strange. But I don't care much." _Snivy cuddled closer and my face got even warmer. And I was warm inside too. Because no matter what happened along the road, no matter what Yuki-esque obstacles we faced, and no matter who got in our way, one thing was clear.

We were finally friends.

_Black: __Finally we can relate._  
><em>Now we're side by side, this is it!<em>  
><em>I knew all along,<em>  
><em>We'd find some way to communicate!<em>

_(Black's pokeballs burst open, Tony lands on Black's head, Witt on his free shoulder, Joel on his arm.)_

_Joel: __I've been here before and I know that,_  
><em>We must stand up tall.<em>  
><em>I'm not scared to ask when I'm not sure,<em>  
><em>We can overcome it all!<em>

_Witt: __Speaking from nowhere else except your heart._  
><em>You'll never know if you don't try.<em>  
><em>Listen and see the voice I carry with me.<em>

_All: __Speak with your heart!_  
><em>Speak with your heart!<em>

_Iva: __If you could tell me how to lend a hand,_  
><em>I would try to understand.<em>  
><em>No words can say how much I care,<em>  
><em>Together we can take a stand!<em>

_All: __Don't fall apart, speak with your heart!_  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start!<em>

_Iva: __We can break this wall that divides us,_  
><em>I know you're sincere!<em>  
><em>We'll just take our time in this moment,<em>  
><em>Your voice will come clear!<em>

_Black: __Speak from nowhere else except your heart,_  
><em>You'll never know if you don't try.<em>  
><em>Listen and see the voice I carry with me!<em>  
><em>Speak with your heart!<em>  
><em>Speak with your heart!<em>

_Iva: __If you could tell me how to lend a hand._  
><em>I would try to understand!<em>  
><em>No words can say how much I care,<em>  
><em>Together we can take a stand!<em>

_If you could tell me how to lend a hand,_  
><em>l would try to understand!<em>  
><em>No words can say how much I care,<em>  
><em>Together we can take a stand!<em>

_All: __Don't fall apart, speak with your heart._  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start!<em>  
><em>Don't fall apart, speak with your heart.<em>  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start!<em>

_Black: __Searching for the victory,_  
><em>We'll find our way to the end!<em>  
><em>And I know that if we communicate,<em>  
><em>Peace will be ours till the end!<em>

_All: __Don't fall apart, speak with your heart,_  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start.<em>  
><em>Don't fall apart.<em>  
><em>(Just take it back to the start)<em>  
><em>Speak with your heart.<em>  
><em>(And always speak with your heart)<em>  
><em>Your heart, with your heart,<em>  
><em>Speak with your heart!<em>

_Don't fall apart, speak with your heart!_  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start!<em>  
><em>Don't fall apart, speak with your heart!<em>  
><em>Your heart, with your heart!<em>  
><em>Speak with your heart!<em>

_Don't fall apart, speak with your heart!_  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start!<em>  
><em>Don't fall apart, speak with your heart!<em>  
><em>And always take it with you back to the start!<em>

_Speak with your heart, YEAH!_

**End of Chapter thirteen!**

**So yeah, yadda yadda, the two songs were "Reach for the Stars" and "Speak With Your Heart" both by Cash Cash. Have a listen, I think you'll love 'em.**

**Now, I have some dreary news. My computer recently broke down. I've been using a laptop that belongs to a family member to write these last two chapters. And I can't use it all the time, plus I've got all my other real life responsabilities, prepping for university, my job, volunteering, all that good stuff. So, y'know I usually update on fridays? That's probably not gonna be a regular update schedule now. Sorry, but updates might be a little more spaced out than usual. Until I either fix my old computer or save enough money for a new one. Sorry, them's the breaks. **

**Other than that, catch y'all on the flip side. **

**PS - OC submissions are now OVER. **

**PPS - So are votes for what's in Black's egg. What's in it? When will it hatch? You'll just have to wait to find out...MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	14. Ellen

**Review Responses: Professor Yuki - I'm suddenly afraid of you.**

**harison86 - Excuuuuuuuuuse me?**

**awyeah21 - Axel's a special case. Trust me, it would make sense if you knew his backstory. But this ain't his story, so I ain't telling what it is. It has been told though. When? You'll have to figure that out yourself.**

**Chapter 14: Ellen**

_"Is he awake yet?"_

_"Is he even alive?"_

_"Is he magic?"_

_I opened my eyes with a headache worming its way around in my brain. I found myself staring up at a a shadowed wood ceiling. The light flickered, and the reason was obvious. I felt the warmth of a fire radiate directly into my body. I lay in a cot, my back aching from the roughness of it. I sat up in the bed when I realized I was no longer in the desert. Now fully aware of my surroundings, my eyes darted around the small hut, eventually focusing on a young woman standing next to the fire pit. _

_Her hair was a thick brown and cut extremely short. She wore tattered robes with holes cut in them every few inches. Three children clung to her ankles. Two boys and a little girl. Each hardly looked eight years old. I initially pulled back from them before the woman gave me a warm smile. I was still wary though, I was ready to fight anyone who tried anything funny. _

_"Hello. What is your name?" The woman asked. I didn't respond. "Are you alright?" I stayed quiet. "Can you tell me where you came from?" No answer from me. "Please?"_

_"Mother asked you a question!" The shorter boy scolded me. "You're being very rude!"  
><em>  
><em>I wasn't listening. My eyes were darting to the exits. The vacant and dark doorway as well as the open wooden window frame that led out into the dark of night. <em>

_"Now now," the woman reprimanded her child. "Remember. We live in Opelucid Village. We do not have hostilities for no reason."_

Opelucid? _I thought. _

_I bolted from the cot and climbed out the window. I sniffed the air as I dashed away from the wooden hut. The atmosphere...it smelled fresh, like pine trees. The dew on the grass beneath my bare feet had an air of freshness to it. Yes, it was definitely early in the evening. I got on all fours, like a wild beast and then began to run like one. West was where I needed to go. But to know where that was, I'd have to wait until morning. _

_I was coming up upon a forest. Perfect. I climbed up the nearest tree with strength that hardly surprised me. I took refuge in the branches and shut my eyes, waiting patiently for morning. _

_And then I was cold again. I'll make a long story short this time. I was in the blackness. I was freezing. Two soft and very comfortable things wrapped around me and I was instantly warmed. _

_"You're close now..." The voice told me. And it may have been the haziness of the dream, but it almost sounded...excited. "I can sense your presence."_

_"Not to sound like a broken record but, who are you?"_

_"I will tell you."_

_"But not now, right?"_

_"No. Not now. I just wished to see you once more, before you reach the city, my friend."_

_"But why? Why are you-?"_

_"I am very sorry. But I cannot tell you. Not until you've reached Nacrene City."_

_"Why-?"_

_"The Nacrene museum. I'll be waiting."_

"Ugh..." I blinked awake with a rotten taste in my mouth. Grogginess had set in, and I wasn't exactly in a sleeping position that was good to my spine. I was leaned up against a tree, and it took me a moment to remember why.

The splashing noises were like a cure for amnesia. I opened my eyes wide. I yawned and recalled what I was doing here. It had been a week since the last run-in with Yuki. It had been a further walk to Nacrene City than I thought. It had been the perfect opportunity to train a little bit though. In fact, we'd trained so frequently that we had taken a break so I could let everyone out to stretch their legs. It was a nice spot. Open clearing in the forest cover, with a pond for Witt to swim around in. Tony was making a game out of it, coming as close as he could to the water before Witt tried to splash him away. Joel was taking one of his traditional naps in the branches above my head. And as for me, I guess I had dozed off while polishing up the egg in my lap. Wait, was I forgetting someone? It sure felt like it as the sunlight filtered through the leaves above my head, splaying across my eyes like a pair of glasses.

_"Mhm," _Iva made a small noise in her sleep. I turned my head to my side. Yipes! She hadn't been napping against me before I fell asleep. But she was sure there now. She really had warmed up to me. And cuddled up to me for that matter. This was ridiculously sudden. Not that I was complaining or anything. Better than her giving me black eyes atop black eyes, that's for sure.

I leaned back and relaxed. These dreams just kept getting weirder. First it was just the person who refused to be seen in that cold and desolate void. But now, it was like the dreams were becoming a series of books. Last time I'd been in a desert, but somehow I was...I was...dang it. It was already fading. I hate it when dreams do that. It's especially frustrating when you know it was interesting.

Oh well. I had a healthy egg, it was a brilliant day, and I had a Snivy that wasn't trying to snap my neck. Overall, life was good. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

"BLITZ! BLITZ! BLITZLE!"

"SLOW DOWN!"

_"Yeah! Slow down already!"  
><em>  
>Oh great. The world must have heard that little comment. Because life was being mixed up. It was as if a bolt of lightning was charging through the clearing in front of me. And in a way, it was. A Blitzle was stampeding it's way towards the clearing. I could see him coming from the right, and boy, he was really punching it. He was charging ahead faster than I put my hat on in the morning. And I had clocked myself in at three seconds.<p>

But wait, the Blitzle wasn't alone. But it's not like he didn't want to be. There was someone riding him. The electric zebra was trying with all his might to buck him or her off. And I, still half asleep, just sat there staring confusedly at the approaching figures. They blasted past me and kicked up a wind current as they did so, knocking my hat clean off. Now, he was going to fast for me to see the human on his back. But I definitely saw the pokemon clinging to his tail for dear life.

"Zorua...?" I said simply.

But that was to be the least of my worries since Iva just woke up. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. That was quite a wind current. And when she stood up, boy was she steamed! She heard the hoofbeats of the Blitzle that had caused it, and she was already on it. She leaped away, getting on the trail in a heartbeat.

"Wait Iva-! Crud!" Well, there went relaxation time. I grabbed the egg's open case and carefully placed it inside. I put the top back on the case and stored it away in my bag. I then snatched up my pokeballs and recalled the three still with me as fast as I could. "Sorry guys. Party's over. Wait up Iva!"

I went after her, into the forest. And I was lost in seconds. The only thing that guided me through this labyrinth of tree cover were the leaves on Iva's tail. I would see them just as they vanished behind a tree. Whoever was trying to pilot this Blitzle's path, they apparently didn't feel like going in a straight line. I made a remarkable amount of twists and turns into the unfamiliar shadowed woods. Iva's tail was the only thing guiding my way. But on the bright side, I was quite used to running by this point. What with Iva's former attempts on my life and all the practice I got in chasing after Alicia. It was no chore to keep up.

Eventually the forest cover began to dwindle. The forest became less and less of a maze, and pretty soon, it wasn't just Iva's tail I was following, but Iva herself. I turned behind one last tree and...there went the forest. I emerged in a field. But it was a poor excuse for a field since there was a lake right next to it. And on the other side, I could see it.

"Hey! Cool! Nacrene City!" It was still a little far, but if I hurried I could reach it by tonight. Awesome! It almost made me forget that I was chasing someone. And for a minute, I actually had. When I finally remembered Iva, she was already closing in on the Blitzle and his 'rider' on the lakebed. I didn't know what she was doing and I didn't care. On the plus side, we were making record time. Wait, what was I saying? For all I knew, Iva could be going rogue again.

But today, like the past few days, she surprised me. Once she was close enough, Iva got her Vine Whips ready. And though the Blitzle's legs were nothing but a blur, she used her vines and managed to coil them around one. For a split second, I grinned. And then that grin came crashing down into an expression of horror when Iva's eyes widened and she collapsed. The Blitzle was stronger than her apparently, since her vines came untangled from the leg like a shoelace, only making the Blitzle stumble. Not trip over completely.

"Zorua! Now's your chance! Use Grass Knot!" I heard the girl hanging on for dear life shout back to her Zorua. And two seconds later, surprisingly, the Blitzle tripped, his maw slamming into the grass below. "Yee-haw! Looks like I wrangled me a Blitzle!"

_Yeah. Because of Iva. _I thought while crossing my arms. She wasn't very observant if you ask me. And speaking of Iva, she was still getting up. I ran over to her, fast as I could. I reached to help her up but she gave me a glare and got up herself. I backed up a little, knowing not to bother her when she got like this. Trust me it's a bad idea to cross her. But the good news was, she didn't seem mad at me. No she turned her glares of hatred at the group of creatures before her. I didn't know why she was so crabby. The Blitzle had just been going too fast.

"Alright! Zorua! We did it! We caught a Blitzle!" Was she serious? She hadn't caught that thing just yet. In fact, she was so sure she caught it, that she stepped off the zebra. And he got up right away. And the girl was too busy pumping her fists in the air to notice that her 'wrangled catch' was getting away. But lucky for her, her Zorua did. The tricky fox pokemon slid in front of the electric type, blocking his escape.

"You know, it would help if you had tossed a pokeball!" I shouted sarcastically at the girl, who's face I still couldn't see because her back was turned.

"Oh yeah! Forgot about that!" I rolled my eyes along with Iva. Now she had to battle that Blitzle since he had gotten up. Luckily, it seemed I didn't need to point this out to her. She was getting ready for the upcoming fight. And by getting ready, I mean she jumped right in.

"Zorua! Use Shadow Ball!" Zorua prepped the ball of darkness at her maw, but Blitzle was ready to respond. The zebra's body sparked up with electricity, and in the blink of an eye, a ball of electric energy began to form at his lightning bolt-shaped horn. The attack suddenly turned into a beam which aimed at the Shadow Ball, not only colliding with the attack, but pushing past it and charging towards Zorua.

"Dodge that!" Zorua complied, diving out of the way just in time. I was suddenly in wonder. That was one powerful electric attack. It certainly was worthy of me bringing out my pokedex.

_**"Charge Beam. An attack that can raise the user's electrical power."**_

Awesome. I was considering catching this one myself. But I was an honorable man. And the girl got to him first. Besides, I already dealt with one pokemon that didn't want to be with me. I didn't feel like pushing my luck with another.

"Ooooooh! I'm tired of this!" Blitzle must have heard her and tried to end it. He got another Charge Beam ready, but this girl wouldn't have it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. She unfurled it, making sure the contents were facing towards Zorua and away from me. "'Kay Zorua, transform into this!"

Zorua looked it over, blinked, then nodded. She jumped in the air and started flipping at an alarming rate. And suddenly Zorua was wrapped in a bright pink aura. I pulled back in surprise, and did so once again when Zorua stopped this little trick. Because Zorua was no longer there. Instead there stood a blue and black mole with a white face and large brandished claws. A Drilbur to be precise. But even though I recognized it, I still felt like bringing out the pokedex for fun.

_**"Zorua. The tricky fox pokemon. Zorua changes into the forms of others to surprise them. Apparently, it often transforms into a silent child."**_

Oh great. My pokedex was going faulty. That's all I needed. That clearly wasn't Zorua. Well, N would be happy I guess. This thing was glitching out on me. I gulped. The professor would kill me if she knew I just broke her prototype pokedex. But then again...maybe I didn't. An idea began to form in my head. I was feeling smart today. Zorua was a shape shifter. Ha. I hadn't broken the pokedex after all. I knew I wasn't incompetent.

I may have figured it out, but Blitzle was still out of the loop apparently. He was suddenly concerned. He was backing away when he saw the ground type illusion before him. It appeared that he really thought there was a Drilbur in front of him. Which means he thought that his attacks wouldn't work. Pretty sneaky.

"Grass Knot!" Blitzle might have been trying to get away. But he hardly had an escape route when two strands of grass behind one of his back hooves suddenly grew like magic and tied themselves together. Blitzle's hoof was caught on the knot and the zebra tripped backwards, landing on his back, dumbfounded.

"Wrap it up with Shadow Ball!" Zorua did away with her disguise and became Zorua once again. I knew it. She had shape-shifted. But she no longer needed that form. Blitzle was helpless before Zorua's Shadow Ball. The impact came and Blitzle was knocked twenty feet towards me, tumbling all the while. He'd fainted.

"AH!" The girl suddenly shouted. I had to jump back again. She was suddenly freaking out verbally as she searched through her backpack for something. "OH NO! WHICH ONE DO I USE?"

"What's happening?" I shouted the question as she continued to fumble in her bag. She should have hurried up. Bllitzle was already beginning to stir.

"I...I don't know which pokeball to use!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? JUST USE ONE?"

"Oh. Ha ha. Right! Duh!" Ugh. Sometimes I think crazy people just flock to me. After some more digging, the girl pulled out a pokeball and enlarged it. But it was no ordinary pokeball. Instead of having a red half opposite the silver one, this ball was green. And around the button of this pokeball, there were tiny red splotches. I recognized it immediately as a friend ball. A pokeball that made the captured pokemon friendlier. I was lucky to even see this thing before she threw it. She was quick with her hands. "Friend ball go!"

She missed.

Yes, I'm darn serious. The pokeball was tossed in a beautiful arc, and looked like it was right on target. But all it did was land with a thud next to the twitching Blitzle. I facepalmed, as did Iva. I heard a sigh. I opened my eyes, seeing that it was Zorua who now shook her head, as if this had happened a billion times before.

"Whoops. Missed again." The girl said, rubbing the back of her head. Zorua appeared to take pity on her and approached the pokeball. She nudged it with her nose, pushing it into the Blitzle and activating the catching sequence. It opened up wide and converted Blitzle into red energy. The red energy then flowed into the ball, causing it to snap shut. The ball began to rock, blinking all the while. It rolled...

...once...

...twice...

...thrice...

_"Ding." _The ball stopped shaking. The capture had been successful.

"YEAH!" The girl cheered as she dashed towards her pokeball. Zorua hopped up onto her shoulder and snickered in joy. And she had a right to. She'd battled expertly. And the trainer had been no slouch herself. She spun around and posed for her catch.

And I nearly fainted myself.

"We caught us a Blitzle!" Alicia declared to the heavens. Okay, something here didn't add up. Since when did Alicia have a Zorua? And since when was she this enthusiastic about...every...thing...oh. Yeah, I'm an idiot. That wasn't Alicia. I facepalmed again. I couldn't believe I was that stupid. Of course it wasn't Alicia. It was her sister. Ellen.

"Oh. Hello. Don't I know you?" Ellen said politely as I approached with Iva climbing onto my shoulder.

"Uh...yeah. It was back when-"

"Yeah. You're the hot dog salesman aren't you?"

"What? No I'm-"

"Well I know you tried to sell me something. Don't tell me, I'll get it."

"I really doubt you will." Admittedly, I said that comment softly enough so that she wouldn't hear. But it was true nonetheless.

"Hmm. Was it my new socks? No that's not it. Uhh, that empty water bottle, no you don't look crafty enough to pull that off-"

"A-hem!"

"Right, sorry. Wait...you're from the contest aren't you?"

"Yes. I am. I'm the guy who-"

"You're part of that rotten Team Plasma, I knew it!"

"Finally you...wait WHAT?"

"First you take my sister and now you've come for me! Well I'm not buying it!" Ellen grabbed her pokeball and returned Zorua to it. I saw her reach behind her back, where I guess she kept her pokeballs, and replaced the pokeball with a friend ball. "Blitzle I choose you!"

"Wait wait! Hold on a minute here-"

"Your silver tongue won't sway me!" What is this? The middle ages? Whatever. She tossed the friend ball, and in an oddly weakened flash of light, Blitzle emerged. You would think, since she just caught him, that he would be a little hostile towards her. But no. He just stood there. Stomping and snarling at me of all people.

"Just listen, I'm not-"

"-not a threat? As if! I know you Plasmas! You sound like you're doing good! But sound sound and reality are two different things!"

"Gah!" I facepalmed once again. I was getting nowhere with this. "Fine then! If this'll prove I'm not-"

"Not what? Crazy? Guess what! You're dead wrong!"

"...Iva. Can you please handle this?" Iva nodded, gracefully leaping off my shoulder and landing before Blitzle with style. "Fine. Since you obviously won't listen to me-"

"I'll never listen-!"

"Iva use Leaf Tornado!" Iva jumped and her tail started vibrating, preparing for Leaf Tornado!

"Blitzle use Double Team!" Darn. Ellen was playing smart today. Blitzle's form began to vibrate, and in seconds, two pairs of Blitzle had appeared beside him. And then two more. And then two more. Long story short, we were in a pickle. Iva was confused. Her teeth were clenched and she wasn't sure which one to hit.

"Iva! Use Vine Whip on all of them!" Iva spun in midair so that she had a good shot with her vines. They shot at the clones of Blitzle. And the moment they made contact, the zebra clones disappeared in a puff of black smoke. And when the smoke cleared...there was no longer any Blitzle there. Clone or otherwise. "What the-?"

"Ha! Now Roar!" I was confused. How could she be attacking? And since when could a Blitzle learn Roar? If I recalled right, you couldn't even tutor that move to them. But forget that! I had to find out where the attack would be coming from. I looked to my left. Nothing but a rock. I looked to the right. Nothing but the lake. I was confused. Or at least, I was until the sound of a massive roar came from my left. Iva was hit with the sound wave before she had any hope of reacting. Suddenly, my new friend was converted into red energy and was zapped back into her pokeball with no choice in the matter. And once she was back in, Witt's heal ball opened wide, releasing him into the battle.

_"Huh?" _Witt looked at his surroundings, confused. I was a little stumped myself. I looked to the left again. There was Blitzle! How did I miss him? Uh oh. I just realized. Roar gave us a terrible matchup. If Blitzle landed an attack, we were in deep trouble. He'd have to keep that scalchop handy for defense.

"Witt! Water Gun!" Witt may have been confused. But if there was one thing Witt wasn't, it was slow on the uptake. He shrugged his confusion off with an evil grin and and blasted water at Blitzle with surprising force.

"Ah! Get out of there!" Huh? Why was she so concerned? Blitzle was really booking it to get away from Witt's Water Gun. That was weird. He looked genuinely concerned he might get hit by that water attack. But it wouldn't affect him too much.

"Okay Witt! Since they're running scared, let's drive 'em towards the lake!" Witt complied, chasing Blitzle while continuing to pump Water Gun at his feet. Blitzle kept running, and I hoped it stayed that way. Blitzle reached the edge of the water and dug his hooves in to stop. It was Witt's time to shine. "Witt! Use-"

_"Hold up a sec! I wanna try something!" _Well that was rude. Interrupting me like that. But it was all for a good cause. Witt turned off the Water Gun and placed the tips of his arms together. He slowly spread them apart and water began to form between them. The orb of water built up, more and more, until I was able to recognize it as-

"You learned Water Pulse? Awesome!" I shouted as Witt set it loose. Ha. And it looked like Blitzle couldn't do a thing to counter it. He was backed into a corner and that Water Pulse was coming in way too fast. Finally, I would land a hit.

"Shadow Ball! Quick!" A shadow ball built up at Blitzle's muzzle and he launched it with gusto. The attacks collided, knocking Witt flat on his back from the shock wave.

Wait...Blitzle used...Shadow Ball...WAIT A SECOND!

"HEY! SOMETHING'S FISHY HERE!" I shouted to no one in particular. Ellen gulped. And she had every reason to. I was figuring out her little ruse. I brought out my pokedex and started searching through the entries.

"Uh...Uh..." Ellen was panicking. She wasn't sure what to do. So she just said the first thing that came to her head. "Shadow Ball!"

"No dice! Witt, use Water Gun and blast that Shadow Ball right back!" Blitzle shot his projectile, and Witt used his own weapon of destruction. Shadow Ball began on a straight and true course, but the Water Gun's propulsion was far too strong. The Shadow Ball rebounded like a basketball, plummeting back and striking Blitzle, staggering him. "Follow up with Water Pulse!" Witt wasted no time in launching a Water Pulse and knocking him into the water.

"YEAH! Way to go Witt!" I praised my otter friend as he snickered maniacally. I'd find it weird, but hey I was used to it. "Yeah! Guess that battle with Alicia wasn't a total loss! Frillish got you to learn Water Pulse!"

"Alicia?" Ellen spoke up. "Hey...you battled my sister?"

"Yes," I said impatiently. "She's kind of after me."

"I don't get it." Ellen crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Why is a Plasma member after another Plasma member?"

"Gee." I was getting sarcastic at this point. "It's almost like, I'm not a member of Team Plasma."

"Yeah...that is strange and- ...oh," Ellen's face slowly became plastered with realization. It was satisfying to see that, albeit a little awkward.

"Yeah." I crossed my arms right back at her as she audibly gulped. She was finally getting it. I never met anyone with a worse memory. Well, maybe Cheren. He couldn't even remember my name.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed as she bowed in a sense of apology. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment, as did Witt. Though I think he might have just been trying to make fun of me. I may have been mad, but it didn't call for such a large apology. "Why didn't you speak up earlier?"

"Well I tried, but you have a tendency to-"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Joel and her together would make a perfect pair. "I assume too much. I know. It happens all the time, I'm sorry. And I'm also sorry...for my sister."

"Your sister?"

"She's, um, after you isn't she?"

"It's complicated. Don't worry about it. But you're not your sister. Why should you be apologizing?"

"Well, she is my sister-"

"So what? You're not responsible for the choices she's made."

"But...well...I guess not. Thanks."

"Hey no prob."

"Any way I can make this up to you?"

"Well, if I'm being honest, I kinda want to finish this battle."

"Why?"

"Mostly 'cause it was just getting good. Is Zorua still good to go?"

"Yeah, she'll be just...HEY! How did you know that was Zorua?" Ellen was going on just as 'Blitzle' emerged from the water and shook violently so that the fur fell off his body. "That illusion is perfect."

"This," I replied simply, holding up my pokedex. "I looked up Zorua. I know she can expand her illusions outside the pokeball she's in. Which is how you made it look like Blitzle's. And the clues were obvious. I mean, I don't think Blitzle can learn Roar or Shadow Ball at all."

"Yeah that was a dead giveaway, wasn't it?" Ellen shook her head in disappointment as Blitzle jumped up and was suddenly surrounded with the pink aura of the illusion. And when Blitzle landed, Blitzle was no longer Blitzle. But a smirking Zorua. "But if you want a battle, we don't need illusions to do it! We're pretty strong on our own you know! For example, use Roar!"

Zorua roared all right. Admittedly, it was a little squeakier because of how smaller Zorua was, but she still roared loud enough to throw back Witt a few feet before he was zapped back into his heal ball. And we came full circle when Iva's pokeball burst open, releasing one very irritated snake. She glared at Zorua, somehow aware that that snickering little fox was what she had been fighting earlier. But surprisingly (and quite pleasantly) she waited for my word before attacking. It was so great to finally have her on my side.

_Okay, I've lost these last few battles, _I thought to myself, remembering my scrapes with Alicia and Yuki in which I stood absolutely no chance. _Time to get back on track. I'm gonna win this one. That's all there is to it!_

"Iva start us off with a Leaf Blade!"

"Stop it with Grass Knot!" Iva crouched, getting ready for her jump into Leaf Blade. But before she could make the big leap, Zorua's eyes glowed green for just a moment. And when they did, two strands of grass beneath Iva seemed to react on their own, as if by magic. They grew at an insane speed, almost like someone hit the fast forward button on life. The strands of grass gained sentience as they quickly rose above Iva's head and tying themselves together. And as a result of this knot, Iva's jump was interrupted and she was sling-shot-ed back to the earth, slamming into the dirt with a thud.

"Crud. That's one tricky move," I said to myself with clenched teeth. Iva got up and slashed at Grass Knot with Leaf Blade just to get revenge. "Okay Iva, use Vine Whip! Get her from a distance!"

"Double Team!"

"Crud! Forgot about that!" This Zorua must be all about the tricks. Because a couple seconds later, I was dealing with more Zorua clones. And I just knew that if we swept through all of them, she'd just trick me by turning into a rock or something. Then attack when I wasn't expecting it.

_"Oh doofus," _I heard Iva say as I started to get frustrated. That feeling all but vanished when I saw Iva's face. She was smiling. Not only that, but she gave me a wink. She wasn't worried. I didn't get it. Well, I didn't until I put an ounce of brainpower into it.

Yeah. It was time to trick the trickster. Iva lashed out with Vine Whips blazing. Ellen grinned. She thought she knew what was coming. But no one was expecting this.

"Now stop!" Iva complied, ceasing the journey of her vines just before making contact with the clones. You want to know why I stopped? Because one Zorua had just stepped back, almost to avoid the vines. I knew it. That was the plan all along. And now the real Zorua was gonna pay for that little stunt earlier.

"Eep!" Ellen exclaimed, her Zorua looking just as flustered by our little ruse as her.

"Ha! Use Vine Whip on that one!" Iva's vines were faster than Zorua's feet. They wrapped around her tail, as she tried to get away from their grasp. But it was no good. Iva slowly rose the struggling fox above her head, dangling her several feet in the air.

"Grrr. How'd you do that?"

"Elementary my dear Ellen! Back when Zorua turned into Blitzle, you used the same strategy. The disappearing clones keep me distracted, while Zorua takes all the time she needs to transform into a rock or something. But you need to dodge the Vine Whips so you don't get damaged. So we got as close as possible without actually attacking. A fake out. To see who'd flinch first!"

"Ooooh. You're good. But not good enough! Shadow Ball!"

"You're in our world now missy!"

"Yeah? Well no matter what, I still won't lose!"

_Ellen: __Here I am in the spotlight!_  
><em>We're ready to put on a show!<em>

_Zorua: __LET'S GO!_

_(Zorua fires off Shadow Ball, Iva dodges by jumping, keeping her grip on Zorua.)_

_Ellen: __When I'm not sure I can do it,_  
><em>When I really don't know...<em>

_Zorua: __Come on!_

_Ellen: __When I get that feeling,_  
><em>I know I just focus with all, that I've got!<em>  
><em>I trust my partners to win!<em>  
><em>Here we are in the final light!<em>

_(Zorua claws at the vines, making Iva let go and giving Zorua the upper hand.)_

_On this stage I stare off into the crowds,_  
><em>Their cheers only echo for me.<em>  
><em>They make me feel I can do anything,<em>  
><em>Just gotta believe in all I haaaave!<em>

_(Iva uses Leaf Tornado, landing a hit on Zorua.)_

_Iva:_ _I won't lose!_  
><em>No matter what! I've the skills to face anyone!<em>

_(Iva wraps Zorua in a Vine Whip, tossing her and causing some more injury.)_

_I'll keep fighting until I reach end!_  
><em>I cannot give up now!<em>

_(Iva, still holding Zorua down with Vine Whip, uses Leaf Blade, scoring a direct hit.)_

_Black: __Tomorrow, I will look back,_  
><em>With a bright smile on my face!<em>

_(Zorua stumbles after being released from Vine Whip.)_

_Because I know that, we have won!_

_(Ellen panics.)  
><em>  
><em><span>Ellen: <span>__I won't be losing today!_

_(Zorua faints.)_

_Iva: __And I win!_

"Zorua!" Ellen shouted as she sprinted towards her fallen fox. She brought out her pokeball while at the same time stroking her reassuringly. "You did awesome! You had him on the ropes. Rest up now!"

She was rather chipper about this. Wish I could be so happy after I lose. Then again, was that really a victory for me? I kind of cheated, what with using two pokemon and all. On the other hand, she forced that change by using Roar. I was really going to have to think hard about this later.

"Iva that was fantastic," I praised her as best I could. Hey, couldn't have her going back to the dark side if you know what I mean. I don't know why I was worried though. Our first winning battle together and she had been stellar. Light must be very tricky with me, because I swear, I saw a red tinge on her face again. Oh well, my imagination.

"That was great. Glad you asked me to finish that!" Ellen said as she approached, clipping her pokeball to her belt. "But...who are you again?"

"I never properly introduced myself actually. My name is Black. And I'm a pokemon trainer from Nuvema Town. I'm aiming for the Unova League tournament."

"That's great. I'm Ellen, and I'm aiming to be Top Coordinator. Though, right now, I'm not sure I can even call myself a coordinator."

"Hey, losing to me can't be that bad, can it?" I was genuinely depressed by this comment. I thought she was insulted by my victory. On a side note, Iva took this time to leap onto my shoulder once again, calm and collected as ever.

"Oh no no no no. Sorry. I just mean that I'm not that good yet."

"Not that good? I saw your performance back in that contest. You got a perfect score!"

"That was all luck! That was the only routine I was ever able to work out on my own. Well, Zorua helped. But we had years for that one! Now I don't know if I can even enter another contest!"

"Why's that?"

"Some contests are doing triple performances now. I don't even have the three pokemon necessary."

"Didn't you just catch a Blitzle?"

"Yeah, so? That just means I have two now!"

"Wait...that Blitzle's the first pokemon you ever caught?"

"Yeah. That a problem?"

"So you only have two?"

"Two's the max. I need to catch one more. Luckily I have enough pokeballs to do it!" She slipped off her pack, zipped it open and showed me the contents. And I never seen as many pokeballs in my life. It was filled to the brim with the devices. All types were in there. Fast balls, heavy balls, love balls, premier balls, the works. They were all jumbled together and shuffled around, like she didn't even want to bother organizing them.

"Whoa! Where'd you get all those?"

"Hee hee. I'm from a family full of inventors and techno nerds. I'm not one, but my uncle makes pokeballs. And he gave these to me for my journey. You can even have some if you want. I have too many."

Well that explained the extenso and how Alicia came across it. She must've made it.

"Th-Thanks, but...really?"

"Yeah sure, take 'em." I helped myself to a pocket-full or two. I had lost all my empty pokeballs when I got away from Yuki. To have some spares was a Godsend. I was good and stocked up again. And I had barely scratched the surface of her gigantic pile of pokeballs.

"Hey. You said you need three pokemon. But I bet not every contest will need a triple performance. Couldn't you go to one of those?"

"Oh. Actually, it's not just the contests I'm worried about. Do you know Axel Igaul?"

"'Course I do! He's my hero!"

"Well, he gave me this pass at the contest. A pass to his competition. But I need three pokemon to compete! So I got to catch another one before the boat leaves!"

"Oh yeah. He told me he gave you one! I got one too!"

"You did?"

"Yeah. I'm headed there right after I get my Basic Badge from the Nacrene City gym."

"No kidding? The gym? That's where I got my strategy from."

"What strategy?"

"Roar of course. That gym leader Lenora does it all the time."

"Really?" That was big uh-oh. A Roar strategy. That could be nothing but trouble. "Man. We might have to work for this one, huh Iva?"

I cringed when I turned my head to Iva. The good news is, she wasn't mad at me. The bad news? She was glaring at Ellen. Almost like she had a vendetta against her or something. Okay, note to self. Find a way to keep Iva calm. Iva glanced at me for a second, seeing my uneasy face and she suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. If you ask me, it's like she was trying to strangle me or something. It was getting kind of hard to breathe.

"Say, I've never seen a real gym battle before."

"Well, not much to tell, really. I've only done one and I barely got through that. They're tough, I'm tellin' 'ya."

"Hmmm. Y'know I could do with a demonstration."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Yeah. It could help me out with my contests too. I've decided. I'm tagging along with you to your gym battle!"

"Say what?"

"It'll be fun! You can teach me all about those awesome battle skills of yours, and I can teach you about contests! We'll be Ellen and Black! The perfect duo!"

"Hey don't just decide for me!'

"What's to decide? Come on, let's go!"

"Wah!" I exclaimed as Ellen grabbed my arm and started running down the lakeside, dragging me along with her. "W-Wait! Hang on! I didn't say-"

"You don't mind do you?" Ellen asked as she turned back to me and winked. I felt my face go hot again.

"Uh...well...I..." I really wasn't sure how to respond to that. Girls just don't do that to me. At all.

"It's settled then, let's set off!"

And we did set off. Because we'd be together through more than just that gym battle. From that point on, my adventure wasn't very lonely. Because I would learn more from Ellen than I had anyone else. Because she would become not only a great travelling partner, but an amazing friend as well. And I'm thankful that I met her. Each and every moment, I'm thankful.

Well, except for when she tripped and brought me down with her.

"Ouch!" I shouted as I landed on my chin. The bone felt as though it had been knocked up a couple notches in my head. I turned my head back so I could see exactly what Ellen had tripped on.

I blinked in confusion. As it appeared, two pieces of grass had tied themselves together, trapping her foot beneath them and making her trip. Funny. That looked a lot like Grass Knot. But Zorua was in her pokeball...wasn't she?

_"Heh," _I heard Iva's voice. It sounded rather smug. I felt her feet on top of my head. She must've moved there before we fell. Funny. It was like she was expecting it. Wait a minute...

"Iva?" My eyes stared at the Grass Knot that had tripped Ellen. "Did you-?"

Iva said nothing.

**End of Chapter fourteen!**

**Well, like I said, updates are a little more spaced out than usual. You don't mind do you folks? I still don't have a new computer yet, and I won't for a very long time. Sorry that's just the way it is. **

**Anyway, it seems Black finally met someone who'll stick with him. That's good, right Black?**

**Black: Yes! Now I'm not alone in my suffering!**

**Oh don't worry. I still have plenty of ideas on how to get you alone. Nyhehehehehe.**

**Black: Aw maaaaaan.**

**And yes. Ellen will be travelling with Black. Ha! No more fillers from me! This chapter's actually important! HA HA! And no, Ellen's not the OC I've chosen to be the travelling companion. She's my creation after all. The choice of OC has been made, and like I said earlier, the team shall be completed in Castelia.**

**Featured Song: May/Haruka's Theme (An English version by me): I Won't Lose**

**Next Chapter: Heist at the Nacrene museum**


	15. Heist at the Nacrene Museum

**Chapter 15: Heist at the Nacrene Museum**

"So you and your sister are from Driftveil City, huh?" I asked casually as Ellen and I emerged from the pokemon center in Nacrene City. We had got to talking the previous evening when we arrived in the city of warehouses. But not the type of warehouses you'd expect. These warehouses weren't dull, grey and generally boring. They were a splash of colour and illustrations. They called Nacrene City the City of Art, due to the warehouses being rented out by many artists. The city instantly drew the eye with so much pokemon art, nothing like Striaton could ever hope to achieve. "And your uncle owns a facility that makes pokeballs?"

"Yep. And I get free samples. And by samples, I mean I just took dozens."

"Awesome. Must be cool to have a family member in the pokeball business."

"Not really. Everyone expected me to get into the invention business. But I really stink with gadgets and stuff. Electrocuted myself when I was six, trying to invent a lamp shaped like a Vanillish."

"Turned you off to inventions, huh?"

"A little. Besides, it's pokemon contests I love. I've been watching contests on TV since I was a little kid. I fell in love with them."

"And Alicia? Y'know what turned her to...that?"

"Oh...right," Ellen's gaze turned to her shoes. Uh oh. I think I just opened a door that shouldn't be opened. "I...I don't know. One day she was at home, with me, the next she's gone. All she left was a note saying she was sorry."

"Didn't sound like she was that sorry the other day."

"Yeah. But I know Team Plasma tricked her somehow. So I'm gonna find her again and get her out of that gang!"

"Well, I'm sure that if you hang around me long enough, she'll show up. She always does." I would've said more, but Tony's luxury ball burst open on my belt, making my pal materialize onto my head. "Oh hey Tony. Hungry?"

_"Bro! That's amazing! You can read my mind!" _Tony vocalized his amazement of the fact that he was as predictable as could be. And of course, he all but forgot about it the moment I brought out a can of pokemon food. He licked his lips as I opened it, taking it gratefully before tipping the contents into his mouth.

"Awww, he's so cute."

"Don't let him fool you. He's tougher than he looks. Why, he once took down a water type that-" I stopped myself when Tony jumped off my head and hugged me as best he could, grateful for the meal. Cute, but not what I needed when I was boasting about how tough he was. "You know what? Forget everything I just said."

"You got it," Ellen giggled. "So where's the gym? I can't wait to see the battle."

"According to my nifty little map here, we should be coming on it right about-"

_"BOOM!" _The ground shook as the sound of the explosion split the air. Ellen and I were knocked off our feet. I landed on my chin again, except this time it was on pavement, which meant twice the pain for me. Yippee. I felt like I chipped a couple of teeth. Tony on the other hand, zipped into the air when it became apparent I was going down. I felt his feet take refuge on my head once the shaking was over. I opened my eyes and got up, still rubbing my chin.

"-In the name of Team Plasma!" My heart stopped for a second. Team Plasma? This could be bad. I dashed to the corner of the warehouse-like building I had been walking along and poked my head around. And when my eyes met the scene before me, I swung back my head so fast I felt the back of my head hit the solid concrete of the building. But I didn't care. After all, I couldn't just let those guys see Tony.

Why? I may have only been staring at the scene for all of two seconds, but I still saw it clearly. A whole posse of Team Plasma members were vacating the Nacrene museum faster than light. My mind suddenly started racing. What if they came this way? What if they saw Tony? Or there was the most likely question of all. What if Tony wanted to play with them? There no need to ask that question, though. Because Tony had already hopped off my head and was looking around the corner next to my feet.

_"Hey Bro, can I-?"_

"Tony, stay away from them," I rasped into his giant ears as I picked him up again. "They're bad people."

_"But they dress real funny, like you." _I was gonna ignore that little comment.

"Don't ever go near them! Y'hear me?" I was getting kind of angry, but only out of desperation. I couldn't have Tony going towards those guys willingly. Tony frowned in shame and nodded his head. I patted his head and gave him a smile so he wouldn't be mad at me. He was an easy person to get on your good side. My first instance of tough love. I was a good big brother already. Wait...

I peeked around the corner once more, seeing to my relief that the Plasma grunts weren't coming my way. They were headed in the opposite direction. I looked at my map. Looks like they were headed into the Pinwheel Forest, a natural maze with only one straight path through it. Well, on the bright side, they'd get lost in there for sure. Looks like I wouldn't have to deal with them today. Bonus.

"Hey Black look! It's Team Plasma!" I froze. I forgot about Ellen. And I especially forgot about her drive to punish those who apparently tricked her sister into their little group. Before I could protest, Ellen grabbed my arm and started dragging me along with her as she went after Team Plasma. Why is everyone in the world stronger than me?

"Wait! Ellen! Stop! They can't see Tony or they'll-"

"Cry me a river! We're going after them! And we're making them pay!"

"Ellen! No! I can't let them-"

"Whoa! Hold up there you two!" Ellen stopped towing me as a female voice shouted from behind us. We turned our heads back to find the source. And I nearly fainted. I didn't, but I did collapse in shock. Because there she was. The person who had managed to stay one step ahead of me this whole time. The person who I had desperately tried to catch up to this entire journey. There she was with her blue eyes and brown hair that had been tied back in a ponytail underneath her hat. It was her.

White.

My face had gone into white hot temperature mode. Mostly because she looked kind of intense. She was glaring at me, (Not Ellen. ME.) with the angriest eyes I'd ever seen. Yikes. I hoped I didn't tick her off somehow.

It took a few seconds of awkward silence before I realized she wasn't alone. Thank goodness. Now I had something else to look at besides a possibly homicidal White. The two people on either side of her were much less threatening. They were a woman and a man. The woman was tall in appearance, with big and poofy teal hair. She kept it all under control with a striped headband. The eyes matched the hair in their teal color, although they were a little brighter. She must've been the one to tell us to hold up, because White certainly didn't possess that knowing voice. Not to say she was dumb, far from it. The man on the other hand was almost a polar opposite. He was skinny and dressed...ridiculously. What with the pink-striped pants and the butterfly belt buckle...and the scarf. His brown hair was poofy too, but not so bad that he needed a headband.

"I wouldn't go after them if I were you," the woman said with crossed arms. She was definitely not pleased about something. I just hoped it wasn't me. If Ellen was beating me in physical strength, I'd hate to see what she could do to me. "When it comes to Team Plasma, you'd better leave it to the experienced trainers!"

"Hey! I'm experienced!" I argued as I grabbed my badge case from my bag and clicked it open, resulting in blinks of confusion from all three parties. "There! See? One gym badge! Same as White here!"

"Ha!' White suddenly exclaimed. It was my turn to blink in confusion. She was suddenly getting cocky, sticking her nose up at me as she took out her own badge case. "I don't know where you've been," she clicked the case open, "but it's two badges now!"

"Gah!" I yelled in surprise. She had gotten that pretty quick. It must have been on her first try too, if she was already being called an experienced trainer.

"By the way, how do you know my name?" White asked, sneering at me with her hands on her hips.

"You're kidding...right?" Did no one from my hometown know my name? And this wasn't just some random person I'd never met. This was the girl I'd lived next door to for BOTH OF OUR WHOLE LIVES! In fact, she was a few months younger than me. How did this happen? So frustrating. "My...name...is Black."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I live next door to you?"

Nothing.

"Same elementary school?"

Still nothing.

"I bought you that hat that you're wearing right now for your tenth birthday?"

"Sorry. Not ringing a bell," she replied. That was ridiculous. Twelve years old, the both of us. And she still hadn't learned who her neighbors were. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

Nobody loves me.

"Hey where where do you think you're going?" I jumped back as the woman beside White suddenly shouted at someone behind me. I turned around and almost facepalmed again. Ellen was no longer by my side. She was already pursuing Team Plasma, going much faster than I ever could. Guess I was slowing her down. I realized then and there that she was serious. She really did blame Team Plasma for her sister. One word to describe the relationship between Ellen and Team Plasma. Vendetta. "Silly one, that girl is. White, Burgh, you go after her."

"Right," the other two replied in unison as they ran after Ellen down the road and toward the looming form of Pinwheel Forest in the distance. The woman then turned to me with a broad smile on her face, making her more likable than White already. "Now, as for you, Black was it?"

"Yeah but what about-?"

"I'm curious. About that badge of yours. Which gym leader did you face?"

"I don't think we should be talking about this when-"

"Oh they'll be fine. Burgh may not look it, but he's a smart one. He didn't become the gym leader of Castelia City by looking silly you know."

"Wait, he's the-!"

"And White has already proven herself to me to be an effective force. I wouldn't worry while those two are on the case. Now. Which gym leader did you face to get that Trio Badge?"

"Well, my match was a special case actually. I faced Chili, Cress and Cilan all at once. In a rotation battle."

"A rotation battle, y'say? Why was that?"

"Uh. If I'm being honest, I want to meet and battle as many pokemon and people as I can. That's really all I want to do. Meet some pokemon."

"Ah. That's interesting. Very interesting indeed. I think I see just what type of trainer you are."

"Sorry to interrupt but, who are you exactly?"

"Pardon me. My name is Lenora, and I'm the leader of the Nacrene City Gym."

"You're the gym leader?" I asked, suddenly feeling the need to stand up straight. And so I did, making sure to keep Tony balanced atop my head. Hey had to be polite in front of a gym leader.

"Yes, that's right. And just know, I would accept your challenge if I could." Wow, she just read my mind. Or she had common, whichever. "But I'm afraid that right now, I have a problem."

"Lemme guess, Plasma?"

"The man knows his criminals I see."

"Great. Wha'd they do this time?"

"They stole an artifact. A rather important one. Listen up Black. I'm happy to battle you. But it's gonna have to wait. For now, could you just wait for me inside the museum while I search the city? And don't you go after Team Plasma now. Trust me, it's in good hands." Without even waiting for an answer, Lenora turned to the city and started walking. Funny, you'd think she'd hurry up since she was going to be searching the entire town for Team Plasma. Oh well, I thought. It wasn't like she was gonna let me help or anything. I was suddenly angry. Guess two badges outranked one.

I opened the strong wooden doors of the museum with almost clenched fists. Leaving myself wide open for...

"BLACK!" I heard the screeching voice just before I was hit with what felt like a brick wall to the face and collapsed backwards. I felt my head hit the stone floor like a bullet. Y'know, with all the times I've fallen over on this adventure, you'd think I'd have a concussion at this point. Surprisingly no.

"Hi Bianca," I replied as I opened my eyes, Bianca's perky face staring right back at me. She was heavier than she looked trust me. She had me pinned down as it was.

"Oops, soooorry," Bianca said as she got off me, letting me clamber onto my feet. I looked upon the interior of the museum with wide eyes. It certainly wasn't what I expected. The exhibits, which I'm sure were very impressive, were currently difficult to look at because of the puffs of black smoke that still lingered in the main exhibit hall. Their glass cases were almost filled with the stuff. In fact, most of the museum as a whole was decorated with this familiar plague of dark fog, making most of the blue-painted walls unseen. But there was one exhibit in this museum that refused to be concealed. Which one? Why, the giant pokemon skeleton standing strong in the center of the entrance hall of course. It was a large, domineering figure that towered above our heads. And speaking of heads, it didn't have one. Although, it did look a bit...familiar, I admit.

"It's so good to see you again!" Bianca exclaimed just before her attention turned to the top of my head. Her eyes began to glitter and with a wide grin she reached for my hat. "TONY! YOU'RE SO CUUUUUUUTE!"

"Gyah!" I tumbled backwards again as Bianca made a grab for Tony. Tony, being quicker on the uptake than me, jumped off my head and hovered just above Bianca's reach. That didn't stop her from trying, mind you. She leaped for him, using anything she could as a stepping stone. Her bag, an exhibit, my back, whatever. But Tony was just too agile for her. He dipped, ducked and dodged all her advances, laughing all the way as if it were a game.

"COME ON! COME ON!" Bianca yelled cheerfully as she continued this useless game. And Tony was just chuckling away, like a small child who just won a round of tic tac toe. "YOU CAN BE MY POKEMON! IT'LL BE FUN!"

_"Huh? No thank you," _Tony answered very politely before diving into my arms. _"Bro's helpless without me."_

"BLACK! BLACK! BLACK!" My teeth clenched and my eyes got wide when Bianca grabbed both my hands, making Tony transfer to my head again. "YOU HAVE TO TRADE ME FOR TONY! I'LL EVEN TRADE YOU MY PIGNITE! WHADDAYA SAY?"

"What? No way!"

"PLEEEEEAAAAASE?"

"NO!"

"Give it a rest Bianca," I blinked when I heard the snide voice. I suddenly sneered when I saw who it was.

"If he doesn't want to hand it over, he doesn't have to," Cheren continued as he walked out of the smoke. But he wasn't alone. He was guiding a couple of children by the hand towards a door on the other side of the hall. The children looked almost in tears by the time Cheren had gotten them inside. And who could blame them? Any time spent with Cheren was a reason to cry in my opinion. Cheren then turned back towards us, waving any smoke away that came near his mouth. "And by the way?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Who are you?"

"...You...have...got...to...be...KIDDING ME!" Cheren raised an eyebrow. Hadn't I already gone through this with him? This just had to be some sort of sick joke. "MY NAME IS BLACK! DON'T YOU REMEMBER?"

"No. I don't."

"The Striaton Gym? Right after your challenge?"

He didn't say a word.

"Same...elementary school?"

His lips were sealed.

"...I helped paint your house."

"Oh, yes. That's right." Why was it he only remembered me after I said that specifically? Either he was the dumbest nerd I've ever met, or he was just playing me for a fool. Either way, I hated him.

"So..." I continued through gritted teeth, desperately trying to stifle the urge to punch this geek in the face. "What happened here?"

"An annoyance," Cheren said simply. "Team Plasma came in and stole the Dragon Skull."

"Well that explains the lack of a head on that thing," I said aloud, staring at the giant dragon fossil. And as I did, more of the smoke began to clear. And I was beginning to notice a surprising lack of people in this museum. Usually, a museum would typically be empty to me, but this was different. The more I looked around, the more I realized that this was even more empty than I'd ever expect. Mostly because we were alone, the three of us. Even the reception desk was vacated. "Say, Cheren. Where is everyone?"

"Oh. That. When Lenora saw Team Plasma, she told us to make sure no others were still in the building. After that, we were to move everyone to the library in case there were more in the city. She's looking now. They're a dangerous group you know. They use their pokemon to hurt people. You should probably stay away from them."

"Yeah...got that..." I was now grinding my already clenched teeth. Cheren...is just aggravating. "What do they want with a dragon skull, anyway?"

"I wouldn't expect a loser like you to understand." I froze as the venom-spiked voice shouted behind me. I swallowed hard. That wasn't good. This couldn't be happening again. I turned around and stepped back a few feet, wanting to get as far from the person in the doorway as possible. "What's the matter dork? Got a problem with me?"

"Yes! Yes I do!" I replied with all the anger I had built up through my twenty second conversation with Cheren. "You're FRIGGIN' crazy!"

"Just shut up!" Alicia responded as she stepped over the threshold. "And give me the Victini!"

"What a bother,"Cheren spoke up, adjusting his glasses as the Plasma grunt entered our midst. He wasn't paying much attention to her, finding the dust in the corner far more interesting. "Why don't you go chase after your little friends? They might actually care what you have to say."

"Oh, is that what you think glasses boy? I'll have you know that I don't happen to be associated with those idiots. They didn't even take the proper artifact."

"Is that what you're here for? And you actually thought you'd get it alone?"

"That's not my mission you little twerp. I'm here for one reason and one reason only." These two really should get together more often. They both irk me in the same way after all.

"How bothersome. I suppose now I'm going to have to battle with you?"

"You? Please. You look like a pushover to me."

"What?" Wow, Cheren's brow just furrowed. I didn't expect such a reaction from him. Now or ever.

"It's you who I'm after!" Alicia pointed at me, preparing a pokeball.

"Who? This guy? He's just a painter-"

"I AM NOT A PAINTER!" I yelled at him while shaking my fists in his face.

_"Is she one of the mean people, Bro?" _I blinked in surprise when I heard Tony's voice. He hadn't talked in a while. That was extremely rare. I picked him off my head and held him in my outstretched hands. I almost gasped. He looked...scared. He had really listened when I told him these people were dangerous. I was touched that he actually listened, and worried that I might have terrified him.

"Yeah Tony. She is." I whispered to him so the others wouldn't hear. Tony made a grim face and his eyes began to water, but I kept talking anyway. "And she wants to take you away."

_"Whaaa-? Wh-Why?" _Yikes. Tony was suddenly getting angry. He was now glaring at Alicia with more daggers than Iva could have hoped to stare at me.

"Doesn't matter. Y'know why?" He looked back at me in confusion and shook his head. "'Cause you're gonna take her out. That's why."

_"Yay! Yay! Yay! She's goin' down!" _Was it just me, or was he trying to sound violent there? Guess it didn't matter, because he was raring to go. I'd never seen Tony more motivated to defeat someone as he leaped out of my arms, his ears beginning to glow as his fire power built up.

"You actually think you can beat me? With VICTINI? Oh please! Give me a break!" Alicia made me cringe by taking out not one, not two but three pokeballs and tossed them all. All three opened wide, releasing the enemy pokemon within their depths. "Sandile! Frillish! Larvesta! GO!"

The three formed before me, two stationary on the ground, with one hovering mid air. There was Sandile first of course. Then Frillish, being the one hovering. And lastly, her final pokemon. One I hadn't seen yet. It was a fuzzy, larvae-like pokemon. He had blue eyes in a shadowed face, and five orange, slightly whirled horns at the sides of his head. His white mane of fuzz encompassed his head and the upper half of his body; his lower body being brown. He also had three pairs of small black legs

"What the hey?" I asked my pokedex as I flipped it out.

_**"Larvesta. The torch pokemon. This Pokémon was believed to have been born from the-"**_

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A POKEDEX?" The rest of the explanation was drowned out by the loud voice of Cheren. Thing is, he was loud, but not angry. He sounded more like a teacher who caught his student chewing gum in class. "THAT WAS ONLY GIVEN TO ME, WHITE AND BIANCA! WHAT ARE YOU-?"

"SHUT UP CHEREN!" I screamed right back. "PROFESSOR JUNIPER GAVE ME THIS! I'M A TRAINER YOU IDIOT!"

"Don't you call me an idiot, you-"

"Can I take this as a surrender, ladies?" Alicia chimed in in the most annoying way possible. I didn't know which one was worse. The male jerk, or the female jerk.

"Grr. You're not taking Tony! And you're definitely not taking anything from this museum!" I shot back. She had three pokemon out. If she wanted a triple battle, she was gonna get one.

"HEY! Three on one's not fair!" But not me apparently. Bianca suddenly stepped up beside me, and it might've just been me, but she looked pretty mad. Almost as mad as Tony. Almost. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pokeball, throwing it with gusto, releasing a Pignite who stood beside Tony.

"Hey, your Tepig evolved!" I let out the first smile I had that day as I got out my pokedex again. This I just had to see.

_**"Pignite, the Fire Pig Pokémon and the evolved form of Tepig. Pignite's food converts into fuel for the flame that burns in its stomach, and when fuel burns in its stomach, its speed increases."**_

"Awesome! You're gonna help me Bianca?"

"Yeah, of course! Cheren! You should battle too!" Bianca was saying that way too cheerily. Like this was all a bunch of fun. Cheren groaned, but stepped up to the plate anyway. Almost like he had no choice in the matter. With a lightning fast hand, he released his own pokeball. The sphere opened up wide, releasing another pokemon from within. And like Bianca, he had chosen his starter pokemon. And also like Bianca, his Snivy had evolved as well. Into a Servine.

_**"Servine, the Grass Snake Pokémon, and the evolved form of**__**Snivy. Servine**__**whips its opponents with vines, and dodges their attacks by hiding in the shadows of thick foliage."**_

"Wow. Thanks guys." I nodded to the two of them. Bianca gave me a grin back while Cheren remained indifferent. Lovely gent, ain't he?

"Ugh, all this 'banding together' crap is putting me in a foul mood. Fine. If you want to play it that way, Triple Battle it is. Larvesta use Flame Charge on Servine! Frillish use Water Pulse on Pignite!"

"Tony! Counter Flame Charge using your Flame Charge!" Tony's legs got pumping as he dashed towards Larvesta, determination in his eyes. His flames surrounded him and the two pokemon collided. And, yet, neither was being pushed back. Looked to me that their flames just got more and more intense, as neither one appeared to have plans on stopping.

"Servine! Block Water Pulse using Leaf Tornado!" Servine pointed his tail in the direction that Frillish's Water Pulse was heading in. Leaf Tornado blasted at full strength, and for the moment, Pignite relaxed, as if knowing he wouldn't get hit by that attack.

However, that attitude soon changed. Larvesta suddenly got the upper hand in our Flame Charge fight. Tony dug his feet into the floor, but to no avail. Larvesta kept pushing with those strong little legs, eventually managing to get Tony trapped in the path of the Leaf Tornado. The vortex smacked into Tony, knocking him out of Larvesta's way. Biut that's not all. Tony was blasted right into the Water Pulse causing even more damage, but that wasn't even the worst of it. Larvesta's Flame Charge was still going, making the bug go unintentionally hurtling past our feet and straight into the dragon skeleton. Bianca, Cheren and I all froze, fearing the destruction that would surely come from the rattling form of the fossil exhibit. But luckily, as Larvesta stepped away (or stumbled, rather) the skeleton stopped shaking. We all let out a sigh before I began the shouting.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA CHEREN? WHY'D YOU HIT TONY?"

"I didn't do it on purpose you moron!"

"Sandile! Use Assurance on Victini!" My head snapped back to the battle at hand. Right. It was Alicia. I had to focus with her. Sandile launched himself towards Tony like a rocket, claws glowing a dark purple.

"Pignite! Use Arm Thrust!" Pignite jumped in front of Tony at Bianca's command, thrusting out with his arms and smacking Sandile in the face multiple times. Stopping the attack and giving Sandile a good chunk of damage. Thinking this is an advantage however, would be a grave mistake.

"Gotcha. Frillish! Water Pulse!" Sandile ducked down, slipping through Pignite's legs and confusing him long enough for Frillish to prepare a Water Pulse and land a hit on the pig. Pignite fell backwards, and as he stood up, he began to stumble around with a pained look on his face. Oh no. I knew that look. He was confused.

"Servine! Use Vine Whip on Frillish!" The two vines shot from the lapels around Servine's neck, heading straight for Frillish.

"Larvesta! Flame Charge on Servine!"

"Tony! Confusion on Larvesta!"

"Frillish! Bubblebeam on Victini!"

"Pignite! Uh...use Flame Charge on Frillish!"

"Sandile! Sand Tomb on Pignite!"

The attacks played out like clockwork. Servine went first, launching his vines at Frillish. Meanwhile Larvesta went charging in, hoping to give Servine a good burning. Tony focused, staring at Larvesta and causing an aura to form around the insect. While this was happening, Frillish shot a Bubblebeam from the mouth at Tony. You think you know how this is gonna end? You don't. If things went like this the whole way, we'd be on the losing side. But luckily, the most unlikely thing to happen, happened.

Pignite was the break in the chain. He used Flame Charge all right. He strode forward, his body in a flurry of flames. He was really heroic. At least, he would have looked that way, had he not been charging into Tony. Thanks to a confused Pignite, Tony was smacked into, making my friend fall over. Pignite tripped up, tumbling over as well. His tumbling broke into a somersault. He rolled right into Larvesta, making his attack fall apart as he was crushed under the weight of the firey pig pokemon. Larvesta crawled out from under him, only to block the Bubblebeam that was intended for Pignite. The fire bug was defenseless against the water attack. And due to the strength of it, he fainted. All these events came to one shining conclusion. Servine smacking Frillish in the face with Vine Whip. Frillish staggered, but Cheren was far from done.

"Servine! Use Leaf Blade!" Servine moved with incredible speed, his tail glowing as he flipped over and slashed right into Frillish's form. "Wrap it up! Vine Whip!" Servine was no slouch here. He used Vine Whip with absolute swiftness, lashing out at Frillish relentlessly. Smack after loud smack echoed throughout the museum until swirls appeared in Frillish's eyes as he fainted.

"The battle's over. And it appears I was stronger." Cheren said with absolutely no expression on his face. "You're the pushover, it seems. How about that."

"My God, I didn't think it was possible." Alicia said sarcastically. "But you're even more of an idiot than that sap with Victini."

"What?"

"Look at your pokemon." Cheren arched an eyebrow as Servine dropped to the floor, a dark and smoky aura surrounding him. He and I gasped together as I realized what might have just happened.

"Your Frillish's ability...it wasn't...Cursed Body was it?" Cheren asked through clenched teeth. he was beginning to sweat, and it was easy to see why.

"That's right. Your Vine Whip has been disabled thanks to Frillish's Cursed Body ability. Which means there's no plausible way for you to get Sandile off of it."

"What? Sandile's not-!"

"Sandile! Use Bite!" Sandile unhinged his jaw as he jumped towards Servine, chomping down upon his neck. Servine swiped at him with his stubby arms, but couldn't seem to stop the crocodile from choking him. And with Vine Whip disabled, Cheren was finally at a loss for words. He wasn't sure what to do. But I did.

"Tony! Knock him off with Quick Attack!" Tony dashed, his legs ablur as he jumped, aiming solely at Sandile. He looked on target, until Sandile flailed, turning Servine around and making Tony slam into him instead. Servine collapsed, but Sandile wouldn't stop.

"Assurance Sandile!" Sandile, still latched onto Servine, began slapping him in the back with his glowing claws, causing even more damage.

"Tony! Use-"

"What good did that do last time?" Cheren shouted just before Sandile gave one more chomp into Servine's hide, making the snake faint. Cheren's eyes widened. So much so, I could see it past the glinting glasses. He pulled out his pokeball with a shaking hand and began the recall sequence. "R-Return, Servine."

"Ha! Told you you were a pushover!"

"That...That...was the first time, I've lost to anyone...but White..."

"Yeah? I don't care. Sandile, use Earthquake!"

"That thing knows Earthquake?" I shouted as the croc stomped the earth, making visible glowing shockwaves appear as I felt the ground shake beneath me.

"T-Tony! In the air! Now!" Tony jumped, flapping his tails all the while. Making himself invulnerable to Earthquake. The still confused Pignite, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The pig stumbled some more before collapsing on his front. Pignite was looking pretty sick as the shaking continued. But as it ended, he was still conscious. His eyes opened as the shaking stopped. Pignite's face, which would usually be black and red, was now looking pretty darn green. I couldn't let Sandile finish the job. I had to defend Pignite, or I'd have lost my ally.

But wait, I heard a shaking. The Earthquake was over, wasn't it? I was confused, until I realized where the sound of the shaking was coming from. Behind me. My face started twitching. I turned around with that same face as I saw the skeleton of the dragon...trembling. Every bone looked as though it were about to disintegrate as they shook.

"AH! Tony! Steady those bones!" Tony focused on the fossil, making the traditional blue aura appear around it. And a few seconds later, the shaking stopped. "Phew!"

"Sandile! Bite!" Uh oh. I did another 180. Crud. Sandile had already done his work. He stood atop Pignite, who had fainted already.

"OH NOOOOOOO! Pignite! Return!" Bianca screeched, worried beyond all reason. The pig returned to his pokeball with his tongue still sticking out in his fainted state. Sandile landed on the floor with a smug look, and I could only assume Alicia was doing the same under that hood of hers.

"Eep!" I exclaimed. I was alone. Alone against my arch nemesis and her Sandile who had already proved himself to be more experienced than Tony. Not mention the type advantage.

"Give it up loser! You've stalled me long enough!" My eyes widened. Not because she was right, I already knew that. It was what was happening to Sandile that I was concerned with. "Victini will be mine. It's only a matter of time. And that time..."

Sandile was glowing in a euphoric white aura. And before I could even say 'eep' again, he began to grow.

"...is just about up."

**End of Chapter fifteen!**

**Sorry, no musical number this time. I'll make up for it I promise. Seeya soon people!**

**PS - And I know it's shorter, you don't have to bring that up.**


	16. Rival Battle! Black vs Cheren

**I'm back from vacation! California was a blast. Anyway, here's the chapter.**

**Review Responses: xXCookieGiverXx - Aw, shucks. Thank you kindly. **

**The Observer 00 - Stop predicting my plot! You're too good at it! Now I have to change stuff... **

**Chapter 16: Rival Battle! Black vs. Cheren!**

"What's happening?" Bianca asked as Sandile began to grow taller and taller, the rest of his body eventually falling back onto his hind legs. His snout expanded, becoming more and more defined along with his head. His arms, while still stubby, grew longer, the claws looking to becoming sharper just before the light faded. With a shaking hand, I brought out my pokedex.

_**"Krokorok, the Desert Croc Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sandile. The special membrane that covers Krokorok's eyes detects heat, which allows it to see in the dark."**_

"Oh great. It evolved." Cheren said, reaching for his belt. "I'll handle this."

"No, y'won't," I replied, holding out an arm to stop Cheren.

"Are you an idiot? You're at a clear disadvantage!"

"Yeah? So?" I laughed. "Let's go Tony! This battle ain't over! Use Flame Charge while flying!"

Tony dive-bombed Krokorok, his body becoming slathered in flame. Krokorok made a move to dodge, but Tony was one step ahead. He used Confusion, causing a blue aura to appear around him, allowing him to steer himself straight into the belly of the croc. Krokorok staggered as Tony flipped back, landing near my feet. He looked pretty proud of himself, thinking that he had managed to cause some significant damage to the desert pokemon.

But on the contrary. Krokorok rubbed the spot where Tony had struck him in passing, almost as though it was like a mosquito bite to him. I cringed. Maybe I was a little too cocky earlier. Bah, who cared? Disadvantage or not, I was gonna win this...and rub it in Cheren's face. I'd do it on nothing but spite if I had to.

"WOW! WHAT A COOL MOVE!" I felt the sound waves of Bianca's screeching as she freaked out about Tony's flying Flame Charge combination. "WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?"

"Uh...Flame Charge while-"

"TONY! USE FIRE ROCKET AGAIN!" Tony just blinked at her, confused. And I was in the same boat. Sometimes, Bianca was just a plain airhead.

"Whuh? Fire Rocket?"

"Yeah! Tony flying like that makes him look like a rocket! That's what the move's called, right?" I opened my mouth to protest, but upon doing so, I realized something. Saying 'Flame Charge while flying' did sort of take its toll on the tongue. Fire Rocket _did _have a better ring to it. Hmmm.

"Okay Tony! We're callin' that move Fire Rocket! Now use it again and aim for the head!" Tony nodded back to me, jumping up and bursting into flames as he closed in on Krokorok.

"Idiot. Use Bite Krokorok!" As Tony moved in for the strike, Krokorok opened his jaws. Tony squealed when he saw this and tried to turn away. But he was going too fast, and by the time he'd turned, Krokorok had chomped down on his foot.

_"Ahh!" _Tony yelped in pain. And Krokorok showed no signs of letting him go.

"Good. Now toss that thing over here!"

"Oh no you don't! Tony, use-" my mouth dried up. I couldn't think of anything to use. I made a mad grab for my pokedex and quickly got into the entry on Krokorok. If I was right, then there had to be something I could use in there. Krokorok pulled his head back to throw Tony over to Alicia and-

"Tony! Use Incinerate on Krokorok's eyes!" Tony, still cringing flipped himself high enough to blast Incinerate right in the croc's face. Krokorok cried out as his stubby arms reached up to cover his eyes. In the process, his jaw unclamped and Tony flew as fast as his tails would carry him away from Krokorok. He landed next to me, his leg twitching slightly due to the bite that had been inflicted on it. He was whimpering, but overall okay.

"Krokorok! Get ahold of yourself!" Alicia commanded desperately as Krokorok clutched at his eyes.

"Yes! Looks like I found your Achilles' heel, missy!" I shouted with confidence as Alicia began to get tense. I held up my pokedex. "Turns out Krokorok has a membrane around its eyes that detects heat. So a blast of fire straight to the eyes pretty much results in temporary blindness."

"Don't act so smart! It's that stupid pokedex that's doing all the work for you!"

"Who cares? I certainly don't! Quick Attack!" Tony sped ahead as best he could, considering his hurt foot. But of course, Alicia couldn't let that happen without a fight.

"Grah! Krokorok, use Sandstorm! Spread it out as far as you can!" I might've gotten a little too overconfident. Krokorok ceased his pained stumbling as his entire body vibrated. Particles of dirt and sand jumped off his body as if it were a trampoline. The bits of dirt commingled, becoming a tornado of sand that spun around Krokorok's body before it streamed out in a wave, smacking Tony to the earth. And worse yet, it appeared Krokorok's eyes had cooled off. "Now Bite!"

"Dodge it!" Tony tried, but was too late in the end. Krokorok had already scooped Tony up in his jaws. Tony let out a squeal.

"Now toss it!" Krokorok didn't hesitate. He chucked Tony across the museum foyer like a rag doll. He landed on his head, the rest his body tipping over into an exhibit featuring...a rock. Whatever. I started running towards him, but Alicia was quicker. "Use Earthquake!"

"Buwuh?" I exclaimed as Krokorok began stomping his feet. I almost tripped as I felt the ground beneath me begin to shake. Tony tried to get up, but ended up tumbling over and receiving more damage from the Earthquake. "Tony!"

"Give it up! Finish it with Bite!" Krokorok's legs moved much faster than mine. And on top of that, Tony was still recovering from that last blow. He wouldn't be getting out of the way in time. With no defense, no chance of escape and no probable means for me to catch up to Krokorok, there was only one thing left to do.

"Tony use Confusion on that stone and toss it at Krokorok!" I pointed at the rather round-looking artifact behind him. Tony glanced at it, made the blue aura of Confusion appear around it, and the stone was launched at Krokorok's face like a rocket. The unsuspecting gator was clonked dead in the eyes. Of course, now the priceless artifact was plummeting to the floor like a meteor. My teeth clenched as I dived for it. I felt the heavy stone land in my arms before I saw it. And boy did it ever hurt. My bones are way too brittle. But that's not the point. The point is, once I was done whining in pain, I looked up to find-

"KROKOROK!" Alicia screeched at her fallen pokemon. With the battle over and the desert croc currently in a fainted state, Tony flopped onto the floor, completely exhausted. I let out a sigh of relief myself. That was an ordeal.

"Hey what do you know?" I said mockingly to Alicia's clenched teeth. "Turns out we could use psychic attacks on Krokorok!"

"I'm going to kill you! You do realize that?" Alicia shot back as she snatched up Krokorok's pokeball and recalled the reptile.

"Maybe so. But not today thank you." I was really enjoying this if you couldn't tell. Any reason to be cocky is a good one if you ask me. Of course, my spirits fell when I saw Alicia reach for another pokeball. My face began to twitch. She had more waiting in the wings. I barely got through Krokorok. And that was with Cheren and Bianca's help. Unless someone miraculously came in and saved the day, I was a goner.

"Alicia!" Huh. You know, I should think positively more often. The doors of the museum had burst open. And the shadowy heroic figure within was none other than Alicia's sister herself.

"Ellen!" I exclaimed as she strode into the museum, a great amount of distaste on her face. Alicia backed up a few steps before darting her head at me.

"How do you-?" I simply grinned as smooth realization spread across her face. Her pointing finger moved from me, to Ellen, back to me, back to Ellen, before finally landing on me. For a few seconds we stood in silence. And then Alicia bolted faster than I've seen anyone go in my life. Instead of asking her sister to move aside, she collided with her, knocking the shorter sister to the floor as she blew through the museum doors. I breathed out my sigh of relief before tending to Tony. I shuffled the stone under my right arm and scooped up the quivering form of Tony in my left. Tony pulled his head up, allowing him to see me. I felt his little arms squeeze around me as best they could before he nodded. I smiled and rolled my eyes. Classic Tony. He was like a five-year-old. And with that there was only one thing left to do. I squatted and rolled the stone back into its proper place. I smirked. It was like I was never there. That done, I returned Tony to his pokeball and moved on to Ellen, who had already been helped up by Bianca.

"What happened in here?" Ellen asked, staring specifically at the scorch marks on the floor which were the result of many uses of Flame Charge.

"It was amazing!" Bianca squealed. "First this cray girl came in and started saying weird stuff, I dunno, I wasn't paying attention. But we all teamed up in this awesome triple battle and then Cheren's Servine was taken out, then my Pignite, and then Tony went up against the Krokorok and-"

"Ellen, this is Bianca. Bianca, Ellen," I said when it became apparent that she had forgotten to introduce herself.

"Charmed," Ellen nodded. She then turned to Cheren as Bianca continued to shake her hand quite roughly. "And who's this?"

"I dunno. Some nerd."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Cheren no less than shouted, face still in its normal bored-looking state. "Are you stupid or something?"

"I DUNNO! YOU TELL ME! MISTER I-CAN'T-REMEMBER-A-KID-I-GREW-UP-WITH!"

"You're the one who can't remember my name!"

"Oh yeah? What's _my _name? I told you TWENTY MINUTES AGO!"

"Of course I-" Cheren cut himself off and he turned his head away. "I-It doesn't matter. I apologize for the outburst."

"Likely story," I said softly so he couldn't hear.

"In any case, I think we're done here. I need to prepare for my gym battle tomorrow." Cheren said simply as he walked towards the exit. And just as he was about to open the doors, they opened for him. Lenora and White stepping inside. Lenora had the dragon skull safely secured in her arms.

"So. I assume it went well?" I asked rhetorically while Lenora walked towards the dragon skeleton with the utmost care so as not to drop the skull. With the help of a footstool, she made the fossil complete once again.

"There. Good as new. Thanks White. If it hadn't been for you, I think those Team Plasma members just might have gotten away with my best exhibit." Lenora praised White with the widest smile I'd ever seen.

"It was nuthin'," White replied, returning the grin in full. "Happy to help!"

"Now then. I believe I had a challenger." Lenora turned to both me and Cheren at the same time, making me wonder just which one of us she was talking to.

"That would be me." Cheren wasn't wondering that apparently. And that action succeeded at little else than riling me up.

"Excuse me glasses-boy! I asked first!" I shot back.

"That doesn't matter. I'll be challenging her first."

"Oh, you've just decided that, huh?"

"Listen. We're both reasonable. I need to get my badge sooner than you."

"And why's that?"

"Because. I need to keep up with White. As long as we keep up the same pace, I'll always know that we're equal rivals. So you see-"

"Aw isn't that sweet. I'm going first!"

"What? But I-!"

"I don't care whatever stories you tell me! I ain't giving up my gym battle!"

"Why you-"

"Ugh. Ladies, if you're done sorting out your tampons," White interrupted, getting in between us, "try settling this like men!"

"Like men?" We both said in unison.

"Battle already!"

"Battle to see who battles? Isn't that rather redundant?" Cheren asked.

"I'm game if you are!" I replied. "I was planning on challenging you anyway!"

"What? Why?"

"Tell me what my name is, and I'll tell you!"

"How immature. Fine. I suppose I have no choice."

"Good. I'll see you at the Nacrene City Battle Club! One hour!"

"Alright then. I suppose I should battle all I can before my gym battle. We'll make it three on three. Are you okay with that?"

"Peachy," and with that, Cheren put his hands in his pockets and strode right out of the museum. I stuck my tongue out at him as he did so. I may have been immature, but only because he was a forgetful jerk. It's completely justified as far as I'm concerned.

"Wow! I can't wait to watch this!" Bianca shouted. "Two of my three best friends battling together! I'm gonna go get some popcorn!"

And like a gale force wind, Bianca breezed past me in a mad dash out the door. My hat flew off in the breeze, but I grabbed it and snapped it back on. Note to self. Make sure Bianca's drinking only decaf.

"Well that happened rather fast," Ellen said with no regard towards Bianca's sudden departure. "You were pretty quick to jump into battle."

"What can I say? He's annoying!" I replied. "Besides. He can't even remember my name! It's a color! The exact some color as _his _hair! How does he keep forgetting it?"

"Good luck dude," White spoke up putting an arm around my neck, suddenly getting buddy-buddy. "Cheren's a tough nut to crack. Believe me. I know. He keeps fighting me after all. Gets really annoying really fast."

"I can tell. Having to deal with that all the time must be pure torture."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this?" Ellen asked as we left the pokemon center for the battle club. I had dropped Tony off because he certainly wasn't ready for battle. I was only half-listening to Ellen at the moment. For now, I was focused on giving the jerk known as Cheren what was coming to him.<p>

"Yep. He's goin' down. All there is to it."

"You know, you really shouldn't let your temper get the better of you."

"Wise words coming from someone who chased down Plasma in pursuit of vengeance!"

"Hey, that's different!"

"How exactly?" I asked as the sliding doors of the battle club opened wide for me. Ellen was about to answer as we stepped over the threshold, but stopped when a very familiar face descended upon us for a greeting.

"When it comes to battling, leave everything to me!" I blinked at the bulky man who said this. Mostly because I knew him. Don George stood tall in front of me, looking as energized as usual. "Hi there! The name's Don George!"

"Um...I'm pretty sure we met. Back in Accumula Town, remember? I'm Black." Oh no. This guy hadn't forgotten me too, had he?

"Accumula Town? Oh, you must be talkin' 'bout my cousin."

"Cousin? But, you look exactly alike."

"Bwa ha! Yes, I suppose people have a hard time telling us apart. But take a look at that." Don George pointed towards a photo on the wall and I suddenly realized how insensitive I was being. The photo had about twenty Don George's in it, all posing with their arms around each other in an effort to show their comradery. "There are battle clubs all over the Unova Region. And each one is run by a member of my family. So there you go!"

"Sorry sir," I apologized for not realizing he was a different person entirely. Now that I looked closely, this Don George had a different color of belt around his waist. His was blue while the other Don George had a red one. Guess that was how you were supposed to distinguish them from one another.

"HA HA! That's alright son. I get it all the time. Say, Black was it?"

"Tha'd be me."

"Someone here's waitin' for 'ya." Don George motioned for me to follow. Ellen and I gave a quick glance at each other before we moved forward. The battle expert guided us down the hall and took a right, heading into a battlefield. It was almost a mirror image of the Accumula battle club. Only no glass ceiling. But what was the same was how much I disliked my opponent.

"Are you ready yet?" Cheren asked from the other side of the battlefield as he adjusted his glasses. "Let's get this over with. I have to move along with my journey."

"Wooh!" I heard Bianca screech. I turned my head to see her and White in the bleachers. And before I even caught the bored look on White's face, Ellen had moved in to sit beside her. "Go Cheren! Go Black! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Good luck Black! I'm rootin' for 'ya!" Ellen followed up, giving me the thumbs up.

White remained indifferent.

"Alright then! This three on three battle between Black and Cheren will now begin!" Don George declared as he approached the the referee's position. The television screen above his head posted a picture of me on one side and Cheren on the other. I felt good about myself. I had remembered to use my X-transceiver to send a picture of myself to the battle club association. Below the pictures of me and Cheren, three circular spots of black appeared, which I assumed would be where our pokemon would show up when we used them. "Both trainers will now send out their pokemon!"

"Pidove, prepare for battle!" Cheren proclaimed, tossing his pokeball into the air. A Pidove emerged from it, and I suddenly got a flashback to my battle with Trip. How many Pidoves am I gonna be fighting in these battle clubs?

"Pidove huh? In that case, Witt, let's do it!" I threw my own pokeball against the ground, letting it bounce and release Witt onto the field.

_"Huh?" _Witt blinked as he stared at the Pidove and his trainer. _"Oh boy! Do I get to beat up the bird?"_

"Pidove! Dove! Pidove!" Pidove shouted angrily.

_"Don't you make fun of my feet!"_

"Ugh, Witt start off with Water Pulse!" I didn't have time for an argument. Whether I could hear what Pidove was saying or not. Witt grinned evilly and put his hands together, preparing the sphere and launching it forwards without a second of hesitation.

**(AN: I realize now that it's very difficult to find a song for EVERY chapter. So in place of them in certain places, I'll insert music cues from the games. Hope this makes up for it.)**

**(Music Cue: Rival Battle, Black and White)**

"Fight back with Air Cutter!" Pidove flapped his wings, making sharp currents of air descend on Witt and his Water Pulse. The attack sliced through the sphere of water, continuing on its way toward Witt.

"Block it with your scalchop!" Witt took the shell off his body and did just that. The blades of wind landed without laying a scratch on Witt's shield.

"Follow up with Quick Attack!" Unfortunately, we had barely blocked that first attack before Pidove came charging in at full speed. Naturally a scalchop couldn't block that. Witt was sent tumbling from the impact, and Cheren was hardly finished. "Air Cutter!"

"Pidove!" Pidove cried out as he flapped his wings once more, sending the razor slices of air flying at my Oshawott pal. Witt tried to get up, but the Air Cutter was far too quick. He was hit right in the head and was knocked into a somersault, coming to a stop next to his scalchop.

"Quick Attack, once more!"

"Grab that scalchop and use Razor Shell!" Witt's eyes blinked open. He snatched up his scalchop and met the charging Pidove head on. Razor Shell met its mark, and the two attacks resulted in both pokemon being pushed back a few feet. Though Pidove now had a bump on his head.

"Hmph. No matter. Pidove use Roost!"

"Yuh-oh!" That was bad. Using Roost would restore his health. "Witt use Water Gun!"

While Pidove tried to light down and rest up, Witt gave him a slap across the face with a Water Gun, smacking the bird right onto his back. This was my chance.

"Witt! Razor Shell!" Witt jumped up and got his sword ready for the finishing blow. He was descending like a comet, making it look like an easy victory.

"Air Cutter!" My eyes widened. It was a bluff. Pidove flapped his wings while lying on his back. Witt's expression got grim fast. And it got even more grim when he was thrown straight in the air by the attack, landing flat on his own back.

"Get up and use Quick Attack!" Pidove scrambled onto his talons. He made a strong upstroke and shot himself like a missile towards Witt.

"Witt! Get up!" Witt tried. But Pidove was too fast. He plowed right through the otter pokemon, blowing him away even further down the dirt field. "Witt!"

"Finish up with Air Cutter!" Pidove flapped his wings hard once more. This time, Witt was helpless before the torrents of wind. And once they ceased, Witt made one last attempt to get up, but then fell back. He'd fainted.

"Oshawott is unable to battle! The winner of the first round goes to Cheren's Pidove!" Don George declared as Witt's picture went black on the TV screen. Cheren simply put his hands in his pockets, like this was just normal for him.

"Are we done here?" Cheren asked as though I was gonna give up. Oh, I was gonna wipe that non-emotional look off his face if it was the last thing I ever did.

"You're kidding, right? Witt, good work, return!" I recalled Witt with a hand clenched around the pokeball. I was steamed now. I didn't even care if I was at a type disadvantage. l was going with my heavy-hitter. "Iva! I choose you!"

My pokeball burst open and Iva stood with her arms crossed. She opened her eyes, staring daggers at her new opponent. She simply stuck her nose up at the bird, not caring what type of pokemon he was.

"Go Iva! You can do it!" Ellen cheered from the sidelines with a cheery smile. However, that smile was soon to fade when Iva gave her a below-zero cold look with her eyes. Ellen flinched. Oh boy. Something was going on between those two. Oh well, I'd figure it out later.

"Are you stupid or something? Why are you choosing a grass type to go up against my flying type? Are you trying to waste my time?"

"Why don't you decide that after we use Vine Whip!"

"Dodge with Quick Atta-" Cheren was about to order the dodging maneuver, but he was far too late. Iva's vines were quicker then his mouth. And before Pidove could react, his wings were subdued as the vines wrapped around them. "What?"

"Type advantage isn't everything Cheren! Iva, give him a Leaf Blade!" Iva, still hanging onto Pidove's wings so he couldn't get away, jumped in the air and got her tail ready for Leaf Blade. My mind clicked. This was a combo. Like Fire Rocket, I was using multiple moves at the same time. This called for an awesome new name, which I only called...

"Grass Guillotine!" It was a fitting name. Pidove was helpless before a razor sharp blade of grass type energy. And the moment Iva made contact, Pidove let out a shriek. Iva bounced back, landing with her arms crossed once again, like that took no effort at all. And in fairness, it didn't look like it did. And it wasn't like Pidove was going to argue. After all, he just fainted.

"Pidove is unable to battle! The winner is Black and his Snivy!" Don George was my hero as he made that proclamation. Cheren's clenched teeth just made this absolutely satisfying. I was giddy inside. This was too good.

"No way...my flying type lost to a Snivy?"

"Iva's no ordinary Snivy! Don't you dare underestimate her!" Iva kept her serious face on, but I swear I saw a slight tinge of red again. That kept happening for some reason. I was beginning to think she might be ill.

"Hmph. Here's my next choice!" Cheren snapped out another pokeball and lightly tossing it. And to my surprise, what came out was another pokemon I'd battled before. A Panpour.

"A Panpour? Really? Didn't I just tell you not to underestimate Iva?" I was insulted. And so was Iva for that matter. Her eyes suddenly got even more narrow as they glared at the water type.

"Don't underestimate my strength either! If you can defy logic, than I'm willing to bet I can too!" At that moment, I decided. I hated him. "Panpour! Fury Swipes!"

"Iva," I paused as Panpour ran at Iva, fully confident in himself. "Use Grass Knot."

Iva's eyes glowed green. And as they did, two pieces of grass sprouted, as if from nowhere, to appear in front of Panpour's foot. his foot was snagged and he tripped, landing right on his face.

"What?" Cheren exclaimed.

"You're surprised?" I replied smugly. "Iva, Leaf Tornado!" Iva jumped up once more, letting the cyclone form before setting loose a shower of leaves upon the water monkey.

"Panpour! Get out of there!"

"Too late for that Cheren! Finish it with Leaf Blade!" The wind died down, but Iva's assault hadn't ended yet. She careened toward him at the speed of sound, slicing him across the face with the blow. Iva pulled back again, letting the fainting Panpour drop his head to the floor.

"Now Panpour is unable to battle! The victory goes to Snivy once again!" Don George made the call and I jumped for joy. I knew I shouldn't speak too soon, but I was winning! Cheren was eating his words! Perfect. I'd never been more satisfied.

"Yeah! Way to go Iva!" I praised her, causing the grass snake to simply nod in agreement. "Just one more to go!"

"Huh. He's better than I thought." I heard White say on the sidelines.

"YAY! This battle is greeeaaaaat!" Bianca squealed, forcing me to cover my ears.

"Tch," Cheren was feeling the heat. And it was obvious he hadn't expected me to get this far. He'd given me the cold shoulder. And now he was paying for it. "I won't lose! I will be the strongest! I. Can. Not. Lose. Here! Purrloin, go!"

"PURRLOIN?" I screeched, suddenly remembering the last time I dealt with one of those. Which only led to remind me of N. The dark cat appeared before me, reminding me all too well of how helpless I'd been that night. "AH! IVA! USE VINE WHIP!"

"Purrrloin! No choice now! Assist!"

"Assist?" A white orb appeared at Purrloin's paw as Iva lashed out with Vine Whip. To my absolute shock, another pair of vines suddenly emerged from the orb of white light. Iva was just as surprised, and in that moment of surprise, her vines were knocked aside. She didn't even dodge as the Vine Whip came in contact with her face. She tumbled backwards, getting winded when she landed on her back.

"What was that?" I asked as I pulled out my pokedex and scanned the orb of light with Purrloin.

_**"Assist. A move that randomly selects a move from an ally pokemon in the party."**_

"No way!" I shouted. If he could use a move from another member of the party, we were in trouble. And since he just used Vine Whip, that meant Cheren still had Servine with him. Which brought up an interesting question. "Hey, your Servine's fainted! Why didn't you drop him off at the pokemon center?"

"I'll do it later. For now, it gives me an advantage! Since Purrloin can now use its moves!"

"Servine's hurt! You're just gonna let him sit there until later?"

"What's the problem? It's not like I want it to be hurt. You're taking this too seriously! Purrloin! Use Pursuit!"

Our argument over Servine would have to wait. For now, Purrloin's eyes glowed dark and he jumped after the still-stunned Iva. He smacked her with claws glowing a dank purple, sending her rolling across the dirt floor. Iva opened her eyes wide. She wasn't done yet.

"Iva! Leaf Tornado!"

"Sand Attack!" Purrloin swiped at the ground, splashing some sand into Iva's face. She cringed, trying rub the dirt out of her eyes.

"Iva calm down and use Leaf Tornado straight ahead!" Iva nodded with her eyes still shut. She spun up her cyclone and made the radius as wide as she could. The surprised Purrloin forgot to dodge and he was caught up in the flurry.

"Use Assist!" Purrloin, still under fire, raised his paw. The orb of light appeared, and Cheren's luck suddenly doubled. The move that came out of that orb was Air Cutter. Of all the moves he could've used, it just so happened to be the one that sliced the vortex of Leaf Tornado in half. And not only that, it struck Iva in the back, making her land with a thud. "Now Pursuit!"

"Iva! Grass Knot right behind you!"

"Jump!" Cheren was ready for me that time. Purrloin leaped right past my last line of defense, leaving the Grass Knot behind. And that was it. Purrloin made multiple swipes at Iva. Iva grunted with every blow. She tried fighting back with Vine Whip, but it was no good. Cheren wouldn't have it. "Fury Swipes!"

Before Iva could lay a vine on Purrloin, the cat pokemon slashed away at Iva's back. With every swipe, Iva cringed a little more. She was still fighting on. But it was clear to everyone she'd been beaten. She tried to get up, but Purrloin smacked her back down. She tried to use Vine Whip, Purrloin whipped them away with his tail. But she wasn't stopping. So in the end, I had no choice, but to do what I did.

"Iva return!" I shouted as I recalled the snake. Purrloin smiled, like he'd just attained a great victory. "I'm throwing in the towel for that battle."

"Alright then. Snivy is unable to battle, which makes Purrloin the winner!"

"Naturally." Cheren said with his usual lack of emotion. "You still want to go on"

"I'm not done yet Cheren! Iva you were awesome. Thanks." I whispered into Iva's pokeball, hoping that she heard me in there. I put her ball away and brought out Joel's. My last shot.

"Okay Joel! I choose you!" I chucked the ball with as much power as my arm could muster. Joel emerged...asleep. "JOEL!"

_"Huh? Oh I'm-"_

"Forget it Joel. Let's just battle already!"

"This is the last battle!" Don George announced, looking to both sides. "Joltik against Purrloin! Begin!"

"Joel! Electro Web!" Joel spat the sparking cobweb like a bullet. Aiming right for Purrloin.

"Purrloin! Assist!" Not that again. Purrloin got the randomized move ready, and I anticipated Cheren's luck this time. Assist summoned a cyclone of leaves, which only meant Leaf Tornado!

"Agility!" I wasn't going to fall for that little trick this time. He may have dispersed the Electro Web with that Leaf Tornado, but I refused to be foiled by Assist again. Joel dashed out of the way, managing to zip behind Purrloin. "Now Electro Web!"

This time, Joel wouldn't be denied. His Electo Web met its mark, sinking into Purrloin's fur like butter. Purrloin grunted in pain, which meant it was time to take the upper hand.

"Joel! Electro Ball!" Joel couldn't miss. Purrloin was too occupied with being charred by Electro Web. As a result, Electro Ball landed with no room for error. The force of the attack sent Purrloin sliding across the floor. Needless to say, his fur never looked dirtier. "Now Bug Bite!"

"No!" Cheren yelled, as if it would stop me. Joel certainly wouldn't. He latched onto Purrloin's back and bit down hard. Purrloin screeched. I silently rejoiced. Bug type moves were super effective on dark types. If luck finally went my way, this would be it. I was gonna win! I was gonna make Cheren cringe in his-

"YOWCH!" Out of nowhere, I felt a sudden stinging in my forehead. A migraine the size of a baseball was clambering around inside my head. I opened my eyes, still cringing in pain. Joel was still on Purrloin. Good. As long as he was doing that, I could afford to be in as much pain as I needed to be. Everything just had to stay as it was and-

"What?" Cheren said as something very very very unfortunate happened. Purrloin began to glow. And grow. Oh great. Twice in one day? Really universe? REALLY? First a headache and now this? Wonderful. Just WONDERFUL!

Joel was so shocked by the sudden light, that his legs lost their footing and he tumbled off Purrloin as he continued to change, his features becoming more and more defined. He kept changing. Until the light faded, and a fully grown Liepard stood before me.

"OH COME ON!" I screamed to the heavens as my headache got worse. My skull felt like it was bursting. Joel was confused. I wasn't saying anything. Because I had my focus on inhaling and exhaling with such an intense headache. With as much strength as I could muster, I called the last attack. "E-Electro Ball!"

"Assist!" Liepard went first. Assist formed into Air Cutter. And the power of it slashed right through Electro Ball like the Water Pulse before it. Joel was hit head on. Liepard kept it up. I was about to call for Agility until-

_I am sorry._

_What the-? _I thought as the voice made the battlefield go silent. I couldn't hear Bianca's cheers. I couldn't hear the air currents slowly slash away at Joel. All I could hear was that voice that shouted into my brain.

_Forgive me my friend. It is part of the process._

"What...process...?"

_In time, you will know. I must continue. I am sorry._

Joel passed out. And so did I.

**Sorry that took so long. Y'know, computers, I've been away, yadda yadda yadda. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Good day to you all. **

**Next Chapter: The Lenora Stratagem**


	17. The Lenora Stratagem

**Review Responses: harison86 - Youtube solves all issues of listening to music, my friend. **

**awyeah21 - Yeah...I went on vacation...what's the problem?**

**CitrineEmerald - Caught that and fixed it.**

**Chapter 17: The Lenora Stratagem**

_My bare feet, stricken with fresh cuts, felt quite relieved to feel a soft grassy marsh beneath them. I yawned loudly. The scent of morning dew ripened the air, making my senses relax in utter serenity. Peace radiated from every fibre of my body. Never had the beginning of a day felt so tranquil. _

_"Excuse me," a voice spoke out to me from behind. I turned around, finding myself staring at nothing at all. I raised an eyebrow. "Down here."_

_"Yes?" I asked the small crab-like creature asked as he adjusted the twisted black stone he had taken refuge under. "What is it?"_

_"I'm very afraid. There are terrible people after me. They want to take my home! Please! You're the only person I've come across! Help me! I beg of you!" For a moment I said nothing. I stared at the Dwebble, his eyes blinking hopefully back at me. When the moment ended, I turned around and made way forward. "W-Wait! Please, I-!"_

_"Are you coming or not?" Dwebble grinned broadly and scuttled forward, not daring to venture far from my ankles. _

_"I do not wish to be a bother. But what may I call you?"_

_"...Alright. In the past, I was addressed as-"_

* * *

><p>I became aware of my surroundings when something warm and fuzzy draped itself across my forehead. The feeling annoyed me, so my reflexes kicked in and I tried to swat it away.<p>

_"Hey, Bro moved!" _I heard a familiar childish voice shout in my ear. _"That means he's better!"_

_"It's a reflex. You're not helping him," _the fuzzy appendage pulled away as the cold, yet collected voice scolded the other speaker.

_"Are humans supposed to be that warm?"_

_"Stop talking," _another voice piped up, this one sounding rather obnoxious. _"It's bugging him y'idiot!"_

_"Hee hee,"_ the child wouldn't listen. Suddenly I felt my hair getting tussled by a pair of samll hands. It wouldn't have been so bad if the hands didn't start trying to yank my hair right out of my head. _"Why do humans only have fur in this place?"_

_"STOP ALREADY TONY!" _Okay that did it. I sat up so fast that I banged my head against the top of the bunk bed. I opened my eyes, rubbing my still-aching head. Well, at least it wasn't as bad as it had been at the battle club. Speaking of the battle club, it didn't look like I was there anymore. I was in a shadowed room, the little light there was was filtering in through the shades of the nearby window. My eyes darted to the bedside. My focus was barely even drawn before I was ambushed by two miniature missiles. And, because my luck is just plain terrible, my head rebounded right into the back wall.

_"Bro!" _Joel and Witt cried out at the same time as they cuddled up to me, overjoyed. Tony jumped out from behind me, giving me his own tiny hug. _"You're okay!"  
><em>  
>"Except for the head, I'm fine," I replied, my brain screaming at me to stop pounding it every day. "I...I guess we lost the battle...huh?"<p>

_"Yeah...sorry..." _four voices spoke out to me. Wait, four? I sat up and let the three slide off me. I blinked at Iva, who stood with her eyes closed and her head bowed. And her face was red again. I was really worried about her health now. That red couldn't be natural in a snake, could it?

_"I'm sorry. I...was winning...and then..." _I was sinking in a tub of awkward soup. Iva was dead serious, but I still didn't understand how she had warmed up to me the way she did. I was still expecting a Vine Whip whenever I looked at her. And yet here she was, pouring her heart out to me. I had to get focused before she opened her eyes. Or that imagining of Vine Whip might become reality.

"It-It's really okay Iva," she blinked her eyes open, giving me a stare of surprise. For a second, I wondered if I was serious myself. I just lost to Cheren after all. Just thinking that put me in a bad mood. I mentally slapped myself to think of something that wouldn't show how I really felt about this. "Er...I mean, losing isn't that bad. All that really matters is...we fought a good battle together. And we learned a lot, right?"

_"I...I...th-thank you," _Iva gave me a small smile and I gave her a thumbs up. Because the moment I said it, I realized it was true. Of course, I was still sore for losing, but it did feel good to battle with Iva again. She had really kicked butt out there. _"I suppose...I didn't look at it like that."_

_"We're sorry too," _I heard Joel and Witt speak up again. I looked at their remorseful faces and patted them on the head. Just because I was feeling low, it didn't mean I should take it out on these guys. _"We didn't even beat one of them."_

_"I didn't lose! That must mean I'm the best, right Bro?" _Tony said, sounding as innocent as ever. Witt didn't take that comment lightly. The moment I saw him getting a Water Pulse ready, I decided it was time for him to go back in his heal ball. I drew the sphere like a cowboy and his revolver, recalling Witt before he did serious damage. Joel on the other hand seemed very hurt by Tony's comment and grumbled sadly before turning away from me in shame. I gulped. Note to self. I should buy him a car battery to snack on later.

"Stay humble Tony," I said, hoping that put an end to the matter. I don't think Tony heard me. He was too busy staring off into the distance, no doubt daydreaming about how great he was. I sighed and returned him to his pokeball next. "Hey Joel? Y'okay over there?"

No answer. Geez, he was really torn up about that. I grinned and scooped him up in my hands and gave him a place on my shoulder. I scratched the top of his fuzzy head, making him click his incisors together. I felt him relax underneath my fingers.

"It's alright Joel. We win some. We lose some, right? Don't beat yourself up over it." Ironic. I was beating myself up for it. But these guys gave it their all. No reason for them to feel bad about it. Don't get me wrong. The next time I faced Cheren in battle, so help me God, I WILL DESTROY HIM! But for my pokemon, I could pretend I was gracious in defeat.

Just then I heard a knock at the door. I snatched up my hat from the bedside table before I heard Ellen's voice from beyond the doorway.

"Black, you awake yet?"

"Yep. Come on in," I replied as I opened my bag to make sure everything was still there. Ellen rushed in and hit the light switch, burning my retinas thoroughly and effectively. Nevertheless, she let out a big sigh of relief. I didn't get it. Was my passing out really that serious to her? It only had to have been a few minutes at most.

"You're okay. The doctor said it was just a fever, but he wasn't even wearing a white coat, so I got worried!"

"I had a fever?"

"Are you kidding? You were on fire! I thought I was gonna burn up just from carrying you over here?"

"Really? I didn't feel a thing. So what happened after I passed out? Is Cheren doing his gym battle right now?"

"What? No! That was yesterday!"

"Huh?"

"You were knocked out for a whole day! I've been worried sick about you! Your sister called about twelve times on your X-transceiver in the past hour!"

_"Briiing," _speaking of my X-transceiver, it was beginning to ring off the hook. I grabbed it off the bedside table and answered the call, allowing Carol's huffing face to appear on the screen.

"BLACK! ARE YOU OKAY? WHY DID YOU MAKE ME WAIT SO LONG? WHY ON EARTH WERE YOU BATTLING WHILE YOU WERE FEELING SICK?"

_"She's rather loud," _Iva said as she used Vine Whip to climb onto my free shoulder. As for Joel, he was so terrified of Carol's voice that he had ducked his head under his front legs, trembling all the while. Iva turned her head away from the screen. _"Please make her leave."_

"Sorry Carol," I apologized as my finger slowly slid to the button which would end the call. I just had to hope she didn't know what I was doing.

"DON'T YOU DARE HANG UP ON ME! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Well, so much for that plan. "ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE SICK EARLIER? AND YOU BETTER HAVE A DARN GOOD EXCUSE!"

"Uh...well...thing is I wasn't actually feeling sick before the battle started, so-"

"Excuse me," I heard a voice from the doorway. I looked to find Nurse Joy's smiling face staring back at me with a thick envelope in her hands. I nodded for her to come in. She did so with her Audino right behind her. "Are you Black?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"A letter has just arrived for you." Nurse Joy handed me the grotesque envelope, bowed and shuffled out, shutting the door behind her. I glanced at the return address. and to my surprise, found it was my own address.

"Um...Carol did you-?"

"Don't you remember?" Carol mumbled sadly. I shook my head. "The dreams kiddo. Those are the journals you and I made back when you had those same dreams when you were five. You said I should send them to you."

"Oh...Oh yeah, now I remember."

"Hey, hey, hey! What dreams are these?" Ellen inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Er...sorry Ellen. Private stuff," I said in an awkward tone, hoping she'd have the courtesy to get out. Naturally, she didn't. So I rolled my eyes and tore the envelope open with my teeth. The contents were an abundance of torn and scratched papers, all with a messy childish scrawl upon them. This barely legible writing looked quite familiar to me, since it was mine from a few years back. It took me a minute to tell the difference between my G's and my L's, but I eventually understood the first line. This would take a while.

"So, kiddo. Be honest with me," Carol said, getting serious again. "How often are the dreams happening?"

"Uhh..." Crud. I hated it when she worried about me. Somehow (don't ask me how) it made me feel more guilty than when I lied to her. I always felt like I had done something wrong when she talked like that. "Once in a blue moon, really. Don't worry 'bout me. I got everything under control."

There was a pause. Then she spoke up again. "You just had one didn't you?"

"What's that? I think I'm losing you."

"Black it's a video phone I can see y-" Carol was interrupted by the sound of my index finger hitting the end call button.

"I am so gonna pay for that later." I grumbled to myself, my hand quickly moving to switch the device off. After which, I took a look at the messy papers in my clenched jittery fingers. It was no good. No way I was gonna figure all this out. Especially with more important things on my mind right now. Like that gym battle.

"Hey Ellen?" I asked as I crammed the pages into my bag, not really caring for how they might turn out. I didn't really plan on worrying about the dreams. Though in retrospect, I did have one right after I passed out from a deadly fever. And right before I was zonked out, I _did _hear the same voice from my dreams. On second thought, I really should have treated those papers better. Y'know, just in case. "I take it Cheren's done with the gym?"

"Him? He's long gone. Off to Castelia City. White and Bianca left too."

"Alright then. You know what that means." I said as I motioned for her to follow me out the door. "Gym battle time!"

"Hey wait!" I felt Ellen's fingers curl around my arm. I nearly fell over with the sudden snag. "The doctor said you shouldn't get up for a while!"

"I'm telling you, I feel fine!" I retorted as I ripped myself from her grip. "Besides, you're the one who wanted to see a gym battle! Why not now?"

* * *

><p>"Well, it's good to see you're up and ready to battle!" Lenora greeted me as we stood in the museum foyer. Cheren apparently had the courtesy to tell her about the battle we had and the aftermath. Since she had expressed relief when she saw me and Ellen walk through that door. "That was a quick recovery."<p>

"Yeah, well, there's nothing that can keep me down!" I replied quickly before getting to the real point. "Anyway, I believe there was talk about a gym battle?"

"Ha. You know, with that attitude, I think you just might get it. Are you sure about this though? You did just have a pretty rough battle."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I lost that one. But I know I'm ready for this."

"Hmmm, now that's interesting. Quick to get up from a fever and a loss. Not many trainers can do that. I like your style Black. Come with me." I grinned as Lenora turned around and walked towards a door off to the side of the main hall. Ellen and I followed suit, waiting patiently as the gym leader reached into her apron pocket and took out a jingling set of keys. She opened the door and held it open for the two of us.

"Holy...MILTANK!" I exclaimed happily as I entered the room. I could die happy looking at this locked room. My fanboy powers were activating once again. I was looking at a library with the most books on pokemon I had ever seen. So much knowledge of the creatures I idolized was stored right here before my eyes. The whole history of the existence of pokemon had to be recorded on these shelves. Rows after rows of precious pokemon info all ripe for the learning.

"Welcome to my private study." Lenora continued. "Only challengers and researchers are even allowed in here. And as you must know Black, knowledge is very important in pokemon battles."

"Naturally." I gloated. This was perfect. I was in my area of expertise. Reading was definitely something I could do. And if this library was as good as she was implying it was, then she didn't stand a chance in our gym battle. I could get all the info I needed and more here. Life was good.

"Well this is your chance," Lenora paused as she stopped next to a shelf marked 'H-J'. "This is the Unova region's second greatest library. And before we battle, you're allowed to sample whatever reading you think might be helpful."

"Really? Tell me you're not kidding."

"Oh no, I'm not kidding. And if you want my opinion," Lenora stopped for another moment just before pointing to to a book in the middle of the shelf. "I recommend you start here."

"Hee hee hee hee...FINALLY! HA HA!" I shouted ecstatically. Ellen jumped in surprise when I started my insane cackling while Lenora, quite on the contrary, simply kept her smile on and only raised her eyebrows a tad in response to that freak out. "Aw yeah! The ball's in my court now! You're recommending that one huh? Well sure, but first I wanna read this one! And this one! And this one! And this one!"

It went on like that for a while. I scanned up and down the bookshelf for anything that caught my interest. And with a lightning hand I snatched nearly every one of them up and stored them under my arm. This kept up until I had a few books sandwhiched between my legs and the shelf was looking pretty bare. Until finally, I had picked up everything I wanted.

"And I'd love to take the one you suggested!" I reached out one more time for the book under Lenora's finger. Oddly enough, it had no title. But if a gym leader was giving it high praise, who was I to argue? I grabbed the top of the book, gave it a tug and-

"GYAH!" Ellen and I exclaimed in unison as the whole room began to shake. The constant rumbling beneath my feet made me drop my books. And to follow up, Ellen stumbled right into me, knocking the both of us into the massive pile of books. A few seconds later, the shaking stopped, allowing my heart to stop wrenching itself out of my chest. After nursing my stricken eye, I looked up, checking to make sure Lenora was okay.

"You're kidding me!" I spluttered as I stared unblinkingly at the sight before me. The bookcase I had just stripped clean had moved. No, seriously. It moved. Lenora leaned up against the shelf, which had panned over to the wall. Not only that, but those stairs had been hiding a secret. "Are those...stairs? No way."

"That's right," Lenora replied with a nod, "and it leads right to our gym battle. Now leave those books here and let's have that battle."

"Huh? B-B-But...okay..." I let the books I had carefully cradled in my arms drop to the floor with the rest of them. I gave the precious works of pen paper one last glum look before I let out a sad sigh and moved on. I felt like Lenora had just given me a punch to the face. I was looking forward to cracking open those covers.

"Ha ha. Sorry to disappoint you," Lenora continued as we trudged down the stairs, giving us a perfect vantage point of the dirt battlefield below. "That was a test I administer before battles. It shows me just what kind of trainer I'm dealing with."

"Really? How'd I do?"

"I have to say, I'm rather impressed. I don't think I've ever had a challenger who was more enthusiastic about gaining knowledge. And the fact you took the book I suggested even though it had no discernible purpose shows the respect you have for your fellow trainer. So in a sense, you pass."  
>"Cool...um...Do I-?"<p>

"Do you still get to read the books? Tell you what. If you win I'll let you keep one book of your choice."

"YES! What are we waiting for?" I don't think I could've moved as fast as I did just then. A I felt dirt smack onto my ankles as I dashed to the other side of the field. I didn't care. I took my place and quickly got my first pokeball ready. I just had to win now. For the sake of that book on pokemon health care I had my eye on.

"Well, let's get right down to it then." Lenora replied to my enthusiasm as she strolled to the other side of our basement arena. "Oh Hawes!"

"Hawes?" Ellen and I inquired in unison once the name was uttered. There were about two seconds of silence before we heard footsteps come barrelling down the stairs. Our heads turned to the new presence who turned out to be a scrawny little man with pale white skin. The man rushed off the last step...and tripped, landing flat on his face. But he got up quick, adjusting his glasses (which had somehow avoided cracking) and turning to face Lenora.

"Yes dear?" The man asked while he brushed the dirt off his suit.

"Hawes, meet Black and Ellen. Ellen. Black. This is my husband Hawes."

"He's your husband?" Ellen and I spluttered in disbelief. That seemed...out of place. But I shook the thought off before I appeared rude. "Erm...nice to meet you!"

"Thank you. You too. Um...dear is this a gym match?"

"Yes it is Hawes. Would you mind being our referee?"

"Of course. Just a moment," Hawes replied cheerily to his wife before calmly walking to the referee's position. He held his arms out, officially declaring the beginning of my second gym battle. "This battle between the Nacrene City gym leader Lenora and Black will no begin! Each trainer will use two pokemon! And both trainers are permitted to make substitutions! Are both sides ready?"

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed.

"You can do it Black!" Huh. Ellen had a lot of faith in me if she was cheering for me like that. "Don't choke!"

Never mind.

"And I'm ready as well!" Lenora replied, her eyes not wavering a slight bit.

"Very well," Hawes continued as he raised his arms once more. "BEGIN!"

"Alright then, I'll be starting with my Herdier!" Lenora proclaimed as she gave her first pokeball a toss. It opened up wide and the evolved form of Lillipup appeared, a shaggier dog with more black fur on her back. I flipped out my pokedex, hoping to gain some insight on my new opponent.

_**"Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokémon, and the evolved form of Lillipup. Herdier's hard black fur softens its opponent's attacks like armor."**_

_Here we go, _I thought carefully. _If I remember right, Ellen heard she had a strategy involving Roar. If she can switch the pokemon I'm using on the fly, then I might be in trouble. So I'll have to make sure I get the pokemon I want into this fight. And I have to do it now!_

"Okay!" I adjusted my hat and chucked my pokeball. "Iva! Let's show 'em!"

Iva, who excelled in glaring coldly at people, was in a sneering contest with Herdier the moment she was released. The two pokemon certainly did have the same natural ability to make you feel uncomfortable.

"Iva! Give her a Vine Whip!" Iva's eyes weren't the only intense weapons she had in her arsenal. Her Vine Whip was as lethal as ever as she shot the two vines like a freight train at Herdier. It looked like this battle might start out in my favor for once.

"Herdier! Roar!" Uh oh. So soon? Lenora apparently wouldn't be hesitating today. The sound wave of Herdier's outburst made _me _dig in my heels as Iva was zapped back into her pokeball. Vine Whips and all. I felt another sphere on my belt snap open. The white energy of my second 'choice' was beginning to form before me. It was all up to fate now.

"JOEL!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, pulling the snoozing Joltik back into consciousness. He blinked his eyes open, and suddenly screeched when he saw the large intimidating dog before him.

_"Erm...Um..."_

"Come on Joel! No need to worry! I have faith in you!"

"Now that's the kind of attitude I like," Lenora praised me before getting back in the game. "Now Herdier! Use Shadow Ball!"

"Joel! Counter using Electro Ball!"

That was a bad idea. The difference between Joel's Electro Ball and Herdier's Shadow Ball was that Herdier could make more than one at a time. Four shadowy spheres appeared at Herdier's muzzle, and the dog launched them faster than Joel could even get his ready. Joel was blasted away taking a tumble before skidding to a stop.

"Joel! Get up and use Electro Web!" Joel was on his feet again and was already stirring up some electric silk and spitting the sparking web at the enemy. The cobweb looked as though it would make its mark until-

"Giga Impact Herdier!"

"Giga what-now?" Herdier jumped over the Electro Web like a runner avoiding a hurdle. The pooch then tucked her paws in and launched herself like a missile at Joel. Her body was suddenly surrounded with orange streaks of light. Not only that, but her entire form had been submerged in a bizarre purple energy. And that meteor looked to be deadly to a little guy like Joel. Or anyone else for that matter.

"Joel! Get out of there!" Joel's feet became a blur as he activated his Agility. While powerful, Herdier's attack was pretty darn slow. Joel was able to escape Herdier's comet of an assault. But we hadn't thought everything through. When Herdier struck the empty dirt, the shock wave of the attack kicked up the dirt around the loyal dog pokemon. The dirt washed over my insect friend like a wave and Joel was submerged, rendering all but his blinking eyes invisible beneath the dirt. "Gah! Joel!"

"Now Shadow Ball!" Herdier was merciless. Her eyes darted to Joel's and in an instant a quartet of Shadow Balls appeared at her muzzle.

"Joel! Agility!" Joel shut his quivering eyes, and the dirt around him began to tremble. But he didn't move. "Joel what's wrong?"

"Your Joltik is pretty small! You can't expect him to move with all that dirt on him, can you?" Geez, she was right. That dirt must've been heavier than I thought. Joel couldn't budge an inch. My mind froze. I didn't know what to do. And because of my hesitation, Joel was struck with a Shadow Ball, making him careen out of the dirt pile. I'd have told him to recover, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. Just after he was released from his prison, he was pummeled with Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball, each pelting him in succession. The Joltik rolled to a stop, his legs struggling to get the rest of his body off the ground.

_How did she do that? _I pondered to myself. She had that planned out. The battle was only going for like, a minute. At the most. And already she had me immobilized.

Of course, the only result of that was to make me mad.

"Joel! Give it all y'got! Electro Ball! Full power!" Joel, still unable to stand, got another surging sphere of sparkling power ready and fired it with gusto. But such a plan was no good against Lenora. Herdier once again danced away from our daring advance quite easily. It was no good. "Joel no!"

"Finish this up Herdier! Use Giga Impact!" Herdier sprung, the energy forming around her as she moved in for the kill. Joel couldn't take that or he'd lose. I thought fast. There had to be a way out of this. But Joel couldn't move. Which left dodging with Agility out of the picture. Electro Ball was easily avoided. And how was Bug Bite supposed to be useful here? If that was the case, there was only one escape.

"Aim Electro Web at the roof and evade it!" Joel's eyes snapped open and he spat a single thread of electric silk straight upwards. The webbing caught onto the ceiling and Joel retracted it quickly. He was hoisting himself away, but not fast enough to get away from the Giga Impact. The attack just nicked him, sending him flying and snapping the Electro Web. Putting Joel in much the same situation as before. He spun out, landing on his face once again.

This wasn't going well.

"You're going to have to think faster Black," Lenora said without a hint of arrogance or smugness in her voice. Just the same, intelligent, confident smile. "It's a gym leader's job to test how well you can battle. And thinking on one's feet is an important part of that."

_Think on my feet...on my feet...yeah... _I was thinking fast alright. If Lenora wanted to see how well I could improvise, she was in for more than she bargained for.

"Joel!" I shouted as Joel tipped himself right-side-up, still struggling to move. "Do it Joel! Stand up! I know you can do it!"

"Don't give him a chance Herdier! Use Shadow Ball!"

"Err..." This would never work unless Joel got on his feet right now. And Herdier was getting faster and faster with those Shadow Balls. Joel had one leg standing strong. But that pooch already had two orbs of shadowy goodness ready for launch. _Come on Joel. Come on Joel._

"Fire away Herdier!" The storm of shady spheres swarmed Joel. There was only one chance. Joel had to move. NOW!

"JOOOOOOOEL!" It was like a miracle. Joel's eyes opened up wide. And he had one of the bravest, most serious looks I'd ever seen him get. Joel jumped, he jumped high. He was ten feet in the air by the time those Shadow Balls made contact with the dirt. My heart skipped a beat. He came through.

"Joel! Give it all y'got! Use Electro Web! Spread it out as much as you can!" Joel made a sucking sound. He was making more than enough thread for this next assault. He released a massive amount of electric webbing. The web spread out into a net of galvanic thread as gravity took over.

"Dodge it Herdier!" Herdier tried. And she almost did too. But like the Giga Impact she had just handed Joel, the Electro Web caught her by the tail, sending a small jolt throughout her entire body. It was small. But it was enough. Herdier tripped, and that was my chance.

"Now Joel! Get on top of her!" Joel touched ground, and while using Agility, he scuttled over to Herdier, making as big an effort as he could to leap and latch onto Herdier's back. "Bug Bite!"

"Herdier!" Lenora yelled once she realized what I was doing. Joel bit down hard into Herdier's black fur. Of course, since that fur acted like armor, the attack had little effect. However, Bug Bite was just the beginning.

"Electro Web!" At first it didn't look like anything had happened. But as the glowing silk slowly began to spread across Herdier's body, the dog began to howl madly. l grinned. Bug Bite had made the armor a tad more sensitive. Making Herdier open to Joel's special surprise.

"Roll over Herdier!" Lenora certainly wasn't one to panic. And neither was Herdier for that matter. The normal type rolled onto her side, and Joel had no choice but to jump off, leaving his still charged Electro Web behind.

"We're not done yet! Joel Agility!" Joel began dashing around the stunned Herdier like a runner around a track. "Okay! Charge up Electro Ball!"

"I'm starting to see what kind of trainer you really are! Herdier, swap 'em out! Use Roar!"

"Not this time Lenora! Dodge it Joel!" Joel had a glistening Electro Ball ready to go, and he wouldn't be wasting it today. Herdier was still grounded, and it was all he could do to aim his muzzle accurately at Joel and roaring loader than a megaphone. Joel was too quick. He bounded over the incoming sound wave and fired with absolutely no mercy. The mere power of the move combined with the speed at which Joel was going, was all the power it took to send Herdier rolling over again. This time against her will.

"Impressive!" Lenora said, her confident grin not fading in the least. "By slowing down Herdier using Electro Web and raising Joltik's speed with Agility tripled the power of that Electro Ball. Now that's a strategic way to combine your moves!"

"Thanks Lenora. But that's just the beginning!"

"Don't think you've won just yet. Herdier!" I gulped. The effects of Electro Web had worn off, and considering the damage she'd taken, I was surprised at how ready she looked to fight. "Shadow Ball!"

"Crud!" This wasn't good. I had no way to counter her quadruple Shadow Ball. But Joel's mouth was only big enough for one Electro Ball. "Get outta there!"

Joel dived under the first. He zipped around the second and tumbled over the third. The forth however, was too much for the little guy. He was absolutely clobbered by that last Shadow Ball.

"Now that he's stunned, give him a Giga Impact!" Herdier hopped up once more and went into a nosedive. Joel wasn't getting up. He had built up so much damage already. Something told me that no matter how loud I yelled this time, he wouldn't be budging. But he hadn't fainted yet. If there was hope, even a little, I needed to fall back on it. I closed my eyes and thought a billion thoughts at once. Trying to find anyway to counteract this. Electro Web would slow her down, but it was too thin to be aimed correctly. Electro Ball would give her a blast she'd never forget. But that wouldn't stand up to a Giga Impact. If there was just a way to get one of these moves to work-

_If not one, then why not both?_

"Joel! Charge an Electro Ball and spin up some Electro Web! Both at once!"

"What?" Ellen exclaimed from the sidelines.

"Oh? Gambling are we?" Lenora wondered with true honesty in her tone. "Now that takes bravery!"

Joel forced a single eye open. The electricity began surging between his incisors. The Electro Ball formed first, and I swallowed audibly when I saw the thread begin to compose. I pressed my hands together and prayed for this to work.

Then it happened. In the blink of an eye, the Electro Ball split apart into three smaller spheres. Joel blinked in surprise. The Electro Web had torn apart the Electro Ball! But this was no time to celebrate. The three Electro Balls were connected by the thinning form of Joel's Electro Web; and they slowly spun around as if by their own sentience. It almost looked like a set of electrical bolas.

"Alriiiiiiiight!" I shouted in glee, pumping my fists in the air all the while. "Give 'em a toss Joel!"

_"Hurgh-!" _Joel gave it all he had just to move his mouth enough, but he eventually did it. He tossed our improvised combo towards the descending mutt.

"Yeah! That's it! We're callin' this move ELECTRO BOLAS!"

"No way!" Ellen said, her eyes glimmering as she stared unblinkingly at the shimmering combination move. I have to admit, I swelled my chest up a little.

"YES! Way to...OH NO!" I was about to cheer for Joel's victory, but unfortunately, it went awry. The thin cord of galvanizing wire snapped, and the mini Electro Balls were sent flying in all different directions, with only a thin piece of Electro Web attached to each. But that wasn't the end of it. Things may not have gone according to plan, but they sure ended satisfactorily. One of the tiny Electro Balls soared near Herdier's feet. The dangling web snagged onto her claws. And as Herdier made contact with Joel, the Electro Ball swung around, slamming into the mutt's posterior.

The resulting explosion brung a mushroom cloud of dust into existence, enveloping the two pokemon within its depths. I felt my face begin to twitch. I couldn't hear Joel's squeaky voice. Or Herdier's constant growls. I just had to wait for the dust to settle. I crossed my fingers and closed my eyes, waiting for the judge's ruling.

"B-Both pokemon are unable to battle!" I opened my eyes. It was true. Both Joel and Herdier lied in a heap, having fainted. "The first round is a draw!"

"Now that's interesting!" Lenora said as she recalled Herdier. "Great work Herdier. Now, as for that battle, I'm certainly astonished. You're a hard nut to crack Black."

"Heh, thanks," I replied, taking out Joel's pokeball. "Return Joel! You were stellar out there!"

"At first I thought you were a strategic player. Using multiple moves to increase the strength of Electro Ball. But you surprised me by thinking on the fly like that. That risky idea of using Electro Ball and Electro Web together was certainly the last thing I thought you'd do."

"Erm...thank...you...?"

"But I have a lot more to learn about you Black. And you have much more to learn about battling! So let's begin the second round, shall we? Watchog! Get ready for battle!"

Lenora took no time in releasing her next choice. She threw her pokeball with hardly a worry in that face of hers. I gulped. Now this was a gym leader. The burst of light that merged from that pokeball became a taller, much crazier version of a Patrat. I took out my pokedex and gave my next opponent a scan.

_**"Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon, and the evolved form of Patrat. Watchog's body contains luminescent compounds, which allow its eyes and stripes to glow."**_

"Watchog. Okay. Iva, you're on!" I shouted, releasing Iva, who appeared near my feet, not looking too pleased to have fallen victim to yet another Roar.

"Round two! Snivy versus Watchog!" Hawes declared. "And begin!"

_"I hope you're ready little one," _Watchog taunted. She looked like she was ready for an easy win. Something her trainer was far above. _"We don't plan to hold anything back."_

Iva said nothing. She only crossed her arms, sharpening her eyes until only a sliver of red remained visible between her lids. Even though she was most definitely on my side now, I still got a little chilled whenever she did that.

"You've got the first move Black," Lenora kindly offered.

"Iva! Let's start where we left off! Use Vine Whip!" Iva complied quickly, breaking out the vines and lashing out with a fury.

"Watchog! Confuse Ray!" Watchog showed no fear as Vine Whip came careening at her. Instead, the stripes around her body began to glow bright. Then in an instant, five glowing yellow orbs appeared around her. The orbs then flew straight towards Iva. For a moment they just floated next to her. But then they exploded in a bright light. The surprised Iva's Vine Whip veered off course, missing her foe by a mile.

"Iva!" I screamed as the light faded. Iva was clutching her head and stumbling around. My heart wrenched. This was bad. Iva being confused brought a whole bunch of flashbacks into the forefront of my mind. None of them very promising.

"Now Watchog! Low Kick!" Lenora wasn't stopping. Watchog looked like a wild animal as she ran up to Iva, arms sprawled out behind her. She swept Iva's legs, making the disoriented grass snake collapse. I froze. Usually when I was in a tight spot, my mind just clicked. I immediately knew what to do as though it were second nature. But here...it took some thinking. "Thunderbolt!"

"Iva dodge it!" I shouted, even though I knew it would be in vain. Watchog's body began to spark up in electricity. And Iva was helpless as the lookout pokemon gave her a few hundred watts.

_"AH!" _Iva cringed. And so did I. This wasn't good. If I didn't get things together soon, I'd finished.

"Low Kick once more!" Watchog held no hesitation. With all her strength she punted Iva clean across the battlefield, sending her careening for a wall. My mind clicked again.

"Iva! I got you!" I cried out as I dived to catch her. I caught her, but a the speed she was going, she knocked me clean off my feet. And that wasn't the end of it. For no obvious reason, she brought Vine Whip out again. She began thrashing around, lashing out at nothing but oxygen. She even smacked herself a few times. As well as me. I felt those whips snap me in the back of my neck, my back, anywhere that had developed a resistance to Vine Whip at this point. "Iva CALM DOWN!"

_"I...I can't lose..."_

"Huh?"

_"Can't lose...again...he's counting on me!"_

"What did you say?" I couldn't believe my ears. I thought our relationship had just had the ice broken. I had no idea she was _that _dedicated to this. It almost brought a tear to my eye. Okay, it did, but that's not the point. I realized something then. Iva had warmed up to me, I knew that. But how much, that wasn't clear. But I was sure now. I hugged her tight. "Iva. You can do it! I know you can! COME ON IVA! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

_"Urf...!"_

"IVA!"

_"Ah!" _Iva blinked her eyes open calmly as though she was awakening from a long sleep. She glanced up at me. _"Bl-Black..."_

"You okay now?"

_"Uh..." _Iva's face looked red again. She tore herself away from me again and stared threateningly at Watchog.

"Right. I get it." I said as I stood up, noticing Lenora's usual expression. Did nothing surprise her? "The talking can be saved for later."

"Still ready to fight? Well so are we! Watchog! Thunderbolt!"

"Leaf Tornado!"

_HA! HA! HA!_  
><em>HA! HA! HA!<em>

_Even when the going gets real rough!_  
><em>We'll be pushing ahead with all we've got!<em>  
><em>(Really?)<em>  
><em>Backed in a corner and you're struggling!<br>But use Iron Tail and you're smiling!_

_(Everything is good!)  
><em>  
><em><span>(Leaf Tornado and Thunderbolt are equal matches. Iva uses the opportunity with leaves scattered all around to strike Watchog with Leaf Blade.)<span>_

_Use your hidden power!_

_(Never give up!)_

_Come on and stand up and never let up, and you will,_  
><em>Rush on forward with all your strength, <em>  
><em>And do it all everyday!<em>

_(Iva uses Vine Whip, restraining Watchog's arms and legs, making the beaver collapse.)_

_Through thunder, and lightning, through forests, and rivers,_  
><em>Just know you're the greatest!<em>  
><em>With our friends by our side, <em>  
><em>I know you'll make it everyday!<em>  
><em>You'll do it, I know it, just be it, now let's go!<em>

"GRASS GUILLOTINE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, Iva going into a spin with Leaf Blade at the ready.

_(Iva meets her mark, following up with multiple uses of Vine Whip.)_

_We're the best comb-in-ation!_  
><em>Perfect communi-ca-tion!<em>  
><em>Always at high ten-sion!<em>  
><em>WOW WA shalalala, no need to worry!<br>_  
><em><span>(Iva showers Watchog with a Leaf Tornado, making her opponent faint as she landed gracefully by my side.)<span>_

_I feel some good vibrations!_

_(Black picks up Iva sand hugs her. Iva's face goes red and she hugs back.)_

_I now say con-grat-u-la-tions!_  
>"Yeah! Way to go!" Ellen screeched from the sidelines.<p>

_You are a rev-o-lu-tion!_

"Watchog is unable to battle! The win goes to Black!" Hawes declared at last.

_Keep on that road, 'til you're a pokemon master!  
><em>  
>"Yeah! You did it Iva! You did it!" I yelled out loud as I held Iva in my outstretched hands. She closed her eyes and grinned.<p>

_"We did it...Doofus." _I laughed. Same strong Iva, new awesome personality. I hugged her once more. I felt her vines wrap around me. She really liked me. And I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out that day.

"Black," I turned my head to see Lenora approaching, broad grin and all. "I have to say. I've never met a trainer like you. Not only are you smart, you take a lot of risks. And they pull through for you. I actually need to come up with a new category of trainer to place you in. You're a perplexing enigma."

"Heh...thanks. But that was all Iva."

"I'm impressed as well," Hawes followed up as he joined in the conversation. That combination of yours, Grass Guillotine was it? That was certainly a masterful way to combine moves!"

"Yeah, Black! Iva! You were both awesome out there!" Ellen cheered as she gave me a friendly hug. But she backed off quickly. I wondered why, until I felt Iva's arms clamp around my neck. Ellen made an awkward face. I would never understand Iva's animosity towards Ellen. Oh well, wasn't like she was hurting her or anything.

"Here Black!" My eyes flashed back to Lenora, who had a tray in her outstretched hands. My mind lit up in a firework display when I saw what was on it. "Take this. It's the basic badge."

She didn't have to tell me twice. I clasped the rectangular piece of metal in my hand. I felt my lips part in a toothy grin. I snickered and spun round, posing with the proof of my latest victory.

"YES! WE GOT THE BASIC BADGE!" I announced to the heavens, my insides never feeling more empty of butterflies.

_"Naturally," _Iva said.

* * *

><p>"Here you go Iva," I said as I gave her a bowl of pokemon food. We had returned to the pokemon center lobby. And I had decided to give Joel and Iva rewards for all their hard work. Iva getting an extra serving of food, which she chomped on gratefully. And as for Joel, I gave him a pack of double A batteries all to himself. He was more than happy to accept.<p>

"Wow Black, that was great," Ellen said as the both of us sat at a table next to my pokemon. We were staying one more night before heading out to Pinwheel Forest. We'd need all day to get through that maze. Trust me, I'd heard all the rumors. "That was an awesome battle! I think I learned a lot from it!"

"Heh, enough for your next contest, I hope."

"Oh definitely. I can't wait until we get to Castelia!"

"Shouldn't take too long. After the forest, it's a straight shot. We'll get there in no time at all!"

"Cool! That's where the next contest is!"

"And my next gym battle!"

"Not to mention Axel's competition! Hey d'you think-?" Ellen was about to continue, but instead her happy expression drooped. Mine went away not long after.

"What?" I asked, hoping this mood change wasn't a permanent thing.

"Your bag is glowing."

"Huh?" My eyes darted to my bag on the seat next to me. There was a healthy white glow pulsing just beneath its folds. I opened it up wide and gaped. That was my egg. My egg was glowing!

But then it stopped. I frowned. I thought it was about to hatch. But not two seconds later, I was panicking. What did that mean?

"Uh NURSE JOY!" I squealed, hoping the nurse would be paying attention. She came over from the front desk in a hurry, looking just as panicked as I was. Understandable since I just yelled at her. "My egg just glowed...is that bad?"

"What? Why no."

"Really? That's good."

"It means it's close to hatching."

**End of Chapter 17!  
><strong>  
><strong>Hey guys, sorry for the wait again. Hopefully you're all still with me. First couple weeks of school and all that. I'll get back into the swing of things. Promise. <strong>

**Anyway, looks like Black's one step closer to reaching his goals! Next chapter, the duo of Black and Ellen venture into the Pinwheel Forest! But there's a problem. It seems there's someone else in this forest. And she and Ellen are after the same thing. **

**Next chapter: Ellen's Rival**

**Featured Song: Saikou Everyday (Pokemon JAP OP 13: English Version)**


	18. Ellen's Rival

**Review Responses: Professor Yuki: Alright, here's a hint for not only you, but anyone with an OC. I do need participants in Axel's tournament.**

**harison86: (Insert what I said to Professor Yuki here.)  
><strong>  
><strong>awyeah21 - Happy (late) Birthday! Sorry I got this chapter to you a day late.<strong>

**Chapter 18: Ellen's Rival**

My egg was gonna hatch soon. That was the only brilliant thought going through my head. Well that and: Two badges! Who's awesome? I was as giddy as I'd ever been. I had the egg case cradled in my careful clutches as Ellen and I strolled down the path of the Pinwheel Forest. I was skipping along, almost ignoring the sounds of leaves crunching beneath my feet and the occasional creak of the branches above my head. I barely felt the heat of the sunlight since it was being filtered in through the natural skylight the foliage made.

"What do you thinks gonna hatch from it?" Ellen asked as she stared unblinkingly at the precious piece of life in my hands.

"I've been checking eggs up in my pokedex," I replied as I showed her my pokemon encyclopedia. "And by using two hours of my life last night, I looked up every blue pokemon egg in here. There are four pokemon whose eggs I can't tell the difference between. Cubchoo, Bagon, Deino, and Spheal."

"Wow cool," Ellen remarked as I showed her a picture of each pokemon on the LED screen of the pokedex. "I can't wait to name it!"

"Who says you get to name it?"

"Aw, come on! Pretty please?"

"I believe I'M the one whose been taking care of it. YOU'VE almost dropped it twice."

"Hey! The first time was an accident, and you wouldn't let me hold it the second time!"

"Gee, maybe because you almost dropped it THE FIRST TIME!"

"You are waaaay too unforgiving." Ellen said just before pouting her lips and turning her head away from me. All for the better in my opinion. "Just don't come whining to me if that pokemon hates you because you never forgave it!"

"As if you're one to judge me for how I raise pokemon. I haven't even SEEN you train your pokemon yet."

"Erm..." I turned my head to look at Ellen. At first, I was satisfied there was no comeback coming my way. But then I saw her face, and I instantly regretted opening my mouth. 'Well, it's not like I don't want to. S'just..." she took a pause and stared at the Friend Ball she was gripping.

"Is that Blitzle's?"

"Yeah. I don't even know how it feels about me yet."

"It's a he."

"Huh? Really? How'd you know?"

"Errr...pokedex. Yeah. The pokedex shows the difference between genders."

"Man, that thing does everything. Anyway, I was thinking of taking Blitzle to a connoisseur. See how things are working out between us."

"Well, I can tell you one thing. You won't start a friendship if you don't let him out once in a while. Trust me. I know."

"Wha-? Right now?"

"Ugh. Tell you what. " I stopped walking and stored the egg in my beg, replacing it with a plaid blanket. I waved her out of the way and spread it out on the forest floor. "We'll stop and have lunch. Let Blitzle out and we'll see how he sees you. Right here, right now."

"Are...Are you sure?"

"Come on. He can't like you any worse than my Snivy did with me."

"How bad did your Snivy hate you?"

"Not the point." I sat down and started setting out food, taking out a bowl and pouring some pokemon food for Blitzle. I slid it over to Ellen, who took it with shaking hands. As for me, I decided it was time for all my pals to eat as well. So I reached for my belt and clasped my pokeballs in my hands. I enlarged them all and opened them in succession. Tony, Joel, Witt, and Iva all emerging in a flash of light, the latter two of the four yawning as the sunlight hit their eyes. "Hey guys, food time!"

_"Finally," _Witt said as he stretched himself out. _"Move over Tony. That's the good food! It's mine!"  
><em>  
><em>"Hey!"<em>

While I was trying to settle the latest scuffle between Witt and Tony (getting my eyebrows singed for the trouble), Ellen's mind was far away. She swallowed hard. Whenever Blitzle had needed feeding in the last few days, she'd let Nurse Joy handle that part. She'd never caught a pokemon before. Zorua had always been agreeable with her, but Blitzle...she hadn't even interacted with the electric zebra pokemon yet. Let's just say she didn't know how this pokemon would react to being caught.

"Come on," I said as I saw her hesitating expression. "It's not gonna work if you just stare at your pokeball, y'know."

"I know," Ellen said before sighing. "I just don't wanna screw it up."

"Can't exactly screw up friendship. You just need to start it."

"Um...hey...that's actually kinda...wise."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she nodded, suddenly getting a confident look in her eye. "So let's do it! Blitzle! Come on out!"

With no more doubt in her voice, Ellen let her pokeball loose. It opened wide, and out of that swirling white light, came Blitzle. The pokemon appeared with his back to us on the picnic blanket. I felt a hand grab mine. I turned to see Ellen, actually scared. I blinked at her in disbelief. It wasn't like it was _that _scary. Or at least it wasn't until Blitzle turned around. That was the biggest 'don't-mess-around' face I'd seen yet. Okay, not quite at Iva's level yet, but it was up there. I found myself squeezing Ellen's hand back as the pokemon slowly trotted towards us. I was about to snatch the pokeball from Ellen's fingers if I had to.

And then Blitzle lowered his head in a respectful bow. And once again, I felt like I just made a fool of myself.

_"M'lady, is there something I can do for you?" _I nearly burst out laughing as he said that. M'lady? He had to be joking, right?

"Huh, that wasn't so bad," Ellen said back, making me remember that she couldn't understand pokemon. To me, it's very strange, since it's almost like hearing someone speaking english. Ellen rushed forward with absolute glee spread across her face and hugged Blitzle's head. It wasn't until she pulled back once again that Blitzle spoke again.

_"Your affection is appreciated m'lady. But have you need of anything? Would you care for me to find you food? Do you require transportation? I swear on my life I shall carry you as fast as my legs will carry."  
><em>  
>"Oh this is too cool! You really seem to like me!" I stood shocked. Not only was Blitzle more sophisticated than most humans I meet, but Ellen had no idea just how much this Blitzle was fond of her. Ellen suddenly reached into her pack, and amidst all the klinks and klanks I heard of pokeballs tapping together, she pulled out a sketch book. She immediately sat down and started scribbling madly in that book.<p>

"Um...Ellen, what are you doing?" I asked, scratching the top of my head.

"I'm thinking up combinations me and Blitzle can use in contests." Unbelievable. This girl worked fast. "Maybe I can do a variation of that Electro Bolas move your Joltik used!"

_"You. Boy." _Before I could even say I'd already put my copyright on that move, Blitzle talked directly to me. I turned to see he was bowing his head to me as well, albeit with a little less enthusiasm. _"Your face tells me you can understand my words. While m'lady's speech does not. Tell me, what are these contests she speaks of?"_

"Uh...well..." I wasn't exactly sure what to say to him.

_"What's the matter boy? Have you no tongue?"_

"I have a tongue," I whispered so Ellen wouldn't hear my discussion with a pokemon. "Um, Ellen likes contests. They're sort of a chance for Ellen to show how stunning her pokemon partners can be. She...She wants you to use your moves to show off your own...erm...grace."

_"I see. This 'showing off' I am none too fond of. But if m'lady desires it, I shall perform to the best of her expectations. Tell her that for me boy."  
><em>  
>"S-Sure thing. But she's kinda focusing right now...I-I shouldn't interrupt her." It's not that I like lying, okay? I just don't want my travelling companion to think I was nuts.<p>

_"Hmph. That's very wise of you boy. You are more admirable than you seem." _Oh, well as long as the talking pokemon says so then everything is right with the universe I guess.

"Sorry, but if I could ask a question-"

_"Why are you whispering, boy?"_

"I...I...I still don't want to interrupt her attention."

_"Ah, yes, excuse me m'boy. I believe you are among the wisest of humans I've met. Ask away."_

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you calling Ellen...your lady?"

_"I would think that's obvious." _I shook my head up. _"It seems even the wisest of you have lapses in thought once in a while. Very well. I have vowed that if I am ever bested in combat, I shall assist my opponent in any way I can. Of course, if this person is disrespectful, I shall destroy their hopes and dreams. For I shall only be in service to one who has positive intentions. My lady seems kindhearted, and I shall serve her with all of my strength."_

"Wow...that's-"

"GAAH! Too hard!" Ellen screeched just before I felt a balled up piece of paper whack me in the back of the head. That skinny chick really had strength. I turned around just in time to see her breeze past me and start petting Blitzle some more. "I'll think of it later. Now as for you, you look just handsome! You'll do great in contests!"

_"Thank you m'lady."_

"Oh boy," I said to myself. I had to sit down for a minute. This was just too rich. If only, for a second, she got a word of what he was saying. Then this would be absolutely perfect. And maybe I'd be able to keep myself from laughing. But right now, that was an uphill battle.

And then, my good day was interrupted. Again.

"GET BACK HERE!"

"VEN! VEN! VENIPEDE!"

"Huh?" Ellen and I said in unison as a pair of voices broke out in the tree cover just off the path.

_"Huh?" _All my pokemon did the same, looking up from their meals.

"VENIPEEEEEEEEEDE!" A squeaky screech echoed throughout the branches just before a small blur of brown burst from the tree cover. My eyes only saw it after I felt myself get pelted right in the face with that enigma (which had to be going at at least eighty miles per hour). My head hit the ground hard and I whimpered pathetically. This happened just way too often.

"I WlLL CATCH YOU!" I heard another voice and got myself ready for the next beating that was sure to come. And don't worry, it did.

"HOOF!" I exclaimed as I felt something extremely heavy hit me in the stomach. Seeing as how it was a foot, that's understandable. Some...creature had just given me a VERY rough ab massage. Of course, it's not like I saw what it was, since it too was a very intense blur. For a few minutes, I just sat there groaning. "Why is it always me?"

"Well that was rude!" Ellen screamed after the creature as it chased down the brown blob of speed off the path and further into the maze of a forest. "Who just comes out of nowhere and freaks someone out just trying to catch a pokemon? And then you just run away? Who does that?"

"I can think of one or two people," I replied between moans, recalling how Ellen and I had ended up travelling together.

"I'm gonna go tell 'em off!"

_"Wait m'lady!" _Blitzle trotted in front of her before she could get moving. _"You could be hurt in such a chase! Please, allow me to engage in this act of running in your stead!"  
><em>  
>"S-Something wrong Blitzle?"<p>

"HE WANTS YOU TO RIDE HIM!" I no less than screamed, my mind still wondering why her first priority wasn't getting me some medical attention.

"How do you-?"

"I'm in an incredible amount of pain over here! Do I have to answer?"

"Hm? Guess not. Ha!" Oh good, she was laughing. At least _she _was having a ball. Ellen got on Blitzle's back and the gentlemanly zebra couldn't look more relieved that 'his lady' wouldn't have to dirty her little feet. I on the other hand, had only the relief of knowing I wasn't dead yet. My pokemon simply looked over at me, gave each other a stare, and continued to eat.

Meanwhile, along with Ellen, Blitzle was charging just under the thick branches at full speed. Ellen had her arms clasped around his neck, hanging on for dear life as he blasted forward. But she had nothing to worry about. Blitzle was an ace at this running business. His eyes darted to any fallen trees, stray branches or any other obstacle that might bar his way. He planned his jumps and dashes with expert grace. Soon, they were catching up to the human-like blur as it barreled along the forest floor on all fours, almost like a pokemon itself, really.

"HEY!" Ellen shouted at thee top of her lungs. "SLOW DOWN ALREADY! I HAVE SOMETHING TO YELL AT YOU ABOUT!"

"GRAAH!" The human-esque creature roared back at Ellen, making my travelling partner flinch. However, two seconds later, she was back to being angry. She glared at the unknown creature before turning her attention to what it was chasing.

"WHAT IS THAT?"

"THE PERFECT POKEMON FOR MY CONTESTS! NOW STAY OUT OF THE WAY!"

"CONTESTS?" Ellen's mind froze as Blitzle continued (with great difficulty) to keep up with the pace of the four-legged blur. As soon as she heard that one word, her mind went blank from her current task of hunting down this animalistic figure. The anger disappeared. And it was suddenly replaced with something else. Her eyes darted from the larger blur to the smaller one and her eyes began to twinkle with a sudden drive. She tapped Blitzle's neck, a signal or him to start listening to her. And with an evil grin she said:

"Catch up with that pokemon! WE'RE GETTING IT FIRST!"

"WHAT?" The original pursuer exclaimed before speeding up along with Blitzle. And surprisingly, Ellen's new competition was actually faster. The vague vision of acceleration sped past Blitzle and Ellen, not even bothering to dodge any oncoming branches. Instead, it just barreled right through them. Ellen's eyes widened.

"Come on Blitzle! Speed up!"

"Blitzle!" Obviously, since I wasn't there for, I couldn't exactly translate. Ellen told me all this later, so I would have no idea what Blitzle just said. But that hardly mattered. Blitzle had no need for words. All he needed was for flames to burst from every bristle of his fur as he activated his Flame Charge. Ellen yelped and closed her eyes when she saw the sudden flames spark up around her. But after two seconds of not getting burned to death, she opened her eyes to find that Blitzle only had a roaring flame around his legs. Which only served to give Ellen's toes a tingling sensation. But the flames were not so low that they burned the forest around them. For an electric type, that Blitzle was amazing at controlling fire attacks. Ellen grinned and stuck her tongue out at the mysterious blur running alongside her. The two were now at equal positions in their race to catch that pokemon due to Blitzle's Flame Charge.

"SO WHAT?" Ellen's smug grin quickly turned into a frown when she saw her competition speeding up even more. She was shocked that her Blitzle could reach this limit of speed. Let alone whatever this thing was.

"I won't lose!" Ellen took out a pokeball and it snapped open, Zorua popping out into Ellen's arms. "I'm gonna be the one to catch that contest pokemon! Zorua use Grass Knot!"

Zorua nodded as her eyes sparked in a healthy green glow. The two racing combatants never saw it, but two blades of tall grass tied themselves together in front of the blurred figure. The other pokemon hunter was snagged on the feeble blades of grass and it went into a tumble. Allowing Ellen to take the lead.

"Ha! That's what you get for interrupting bonding time with my pokemon!" Ellen yelled back with a mischievous smile as Blitzle strode forward in hopes to catch to the pokemon rushing along ahead. "Okay Blitzle! Just a little more and we'll catch up to it!"

"BLITZ!" Blitzle gave it all he had for 'his lady'. The sound of his hooves trotting multiplied tenfold as the pursued pokemon burst through the tree cover, entering into a clearing. Blitzle and Ellen were right on its tail. The sky opened up before them as they left the denser part of the forest behind. But Blitzle screeched to a halt when they saw just why this mystery pokemon was heading here. Ellen too, looked far too amazed to continue. Zorua simply blinked rapidly and simply curled up in Ellen's lap as if she wanted to take a nap.

"Wow...coooool!" Ellen cried out to no one in particular as she admired the sight before her. Pinwheel Forest was known for the beauty of its intricate labyrinth. But not for real beauty like this. Ellen marvelled as the orange and yellow colours of autumn met her eyes. The hues blazed across the leaves of the gargantuan oak tree standing before her. According to Ellen, the natural firework display was at least thirty feet tall. Small shadowed knot holes dotted the surface of the bark, making the titan of a tree look like Swiss cheese. The thick snake-like roots nearly tripped Blitzle on his way in. But Ellen could hardly be blamed for staring. Two seconds after discovering the behemoth, her head began turning in all directions, searching frantically for her prey. I swear, the moment she hears the word 'contest' she turns into a crazed Ursaring.

"Blitzle! Blitz!" Blitzle barked at the tree, making Ellen peer upwards as a grin spread across her face. The brown blaze of speed had finally slowed down. But that may have been because it was climbing a tree. The creature was a small, lengthy, squirming creature which was slowly making its way up the tree. It was no surprise that she didn't notice the insect-esque pokemon. It blended in perfectly with the bark of the immense plant. Except, that is, for the small segmented green portion of the body in between the head and the tail. That's the only reason she spotted it in the first place.

"So that's the perfect pokemon for contests huh?" Ellen said to no one in particular. She giggled. "Okay! Now let's catch it!"

"BLITZLE!" Blitzle shouted enthusiastically as his fur sparked, making Ellen's hair stand on end. Not that she cared. She was too busy shaking in anticipation.

"So...whaddo I do again?"

Blitzle widened his eyes in surprise as Zorua rolled hers. I had to bet that Blitzle was beginning to regret the little decision he made to work with Ellen. But when that zebra made a choice, he stuck with it. And he proved it as his 'horn' lit up like a candle. The eyes of Ellen and Zorua reflected the light of Charge Beam as Blitzle got ready to fire.

"Wow!" Ellen cheered, which made Blitzle swell up with pride. "Go Bli-"

"Emon! Pursuit!" Before Blitzle could fire away, he was struck by a soaring rocket. He fell over, the Charge Beam launching itself right into the trunk of the giant tree, leaving a spot of ash. Ellen tumbled over with the zebra and Zorua, landing flat on her back. Blitzle scrambled onto his hooves to see Ellen in the dirt and was suddenly up in arms. He spun around to see who had dared try to harm 'his lady'. Ellen was right behind him, though she was more concerned with nursing her behind after that bit of damage of falling off her trusty steed.

"Ow! Hey! What's the big idea?" Ellen shouted in anger before she realized who she was talking to. She cringed. It was the larger blur. Ellen was stunned. No one recovered from a fall that damaging that fast.

"What's the big idea? WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" The young girl bared her pseudo-fangs at Ellen, making my poor travelling partner pull back. The impossibly long, messy black hair almost distracted Ellen from her terror. But the angry face, covered in dirt and split ends brought her right back into the circle of intimidation. Ellen's ruse during the chase must have caused more damage than she thought. Her assailant's face wasn't the only thing covered in dirt. Her T-shirt was hardly recognizable as a white one with all the dirt splattered across it. The jacket she had on as well hardly looked red anymore. But what scared Ellen most was the posture this girl took. She wasn't taking what most would call a 'normal' stance. She was on all fours, growling like a wild Gyarados at Ellen. Her flying squirrel pokemon Emolga did not seem unnerved by this in the slightest and rested on his trainer's head. "THE BIG IDEA IS YOU! YOU AND YOUR SMART LITTLE IDEAS! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT YOU-!"

"BLITZLE!" No matter how manic this girl was, Blitzle wouldn't back down to anyone who talked like that to his lady.

"Venipede! Ven! VEN!" The attention of the two girls were suddenly diverted. The little centipede pokemon which had just been clambering up the tree was now taking a tumble down it. He had rolled into a ball and wasn't exactly stopping anytime soon. He barreled right down the tree as though it were a pinball machine and came to a stop after smacking directly into a root. He looked dazed as he uncurled.

"Ven! Ven! Venipede! Ven!" Ellen turned her head up to the top of the tree. She blinked in confusion. There were more centipede pokemon high in the branches. But these were a different colour. Their main body was magenta and their segmented section was a far darker shade of green. And though it was difficult to tell with bug pokemon, it looked like they were...laughing.

"Gah! I'll deal with you later!" The mystery girl forgot Ellen for the moment and turned her determination towards the differently-coloured centipede. "That shiny Venipede's really gonna impress the judges at the Castelia contest! Emon! Use Volt Switch!"

"Emol!" Emolga jumped off the new trainer's head with a smile on his face and hovered just above the insect. He put his tiny paws together and charged a small sphere of electricity, morphing into a Volt Switch.

"Venipeeeeeeeeeeeede!" The Emolga stopped mid-attack. Even the rodent's trainer looked like she might not attack for the moment (only because it looked like she was about to puke from the display). The Venipede was crying. Like a baby without his rattle. And Emolga certainly regretted not attacking. Because in his upset fit, a sparkling yellow light built up at his antennae. And before anyone knew what he was doing, he fired off a bright beacon of light at the Emolga. The Sky Squirrel pokemon didn't see it coming and was shot straight into the sky like a rocket.

"SOLARBEAM? WHY YOU LITTLE-!" Ellen's competition screeched in frustration.

"Oh wow! That Venipede knows Solarbeam?" Ellen exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with adoration. "Our turn! Blitzle! Use Flame Charge!"

"What? No you don't!" The opposite trainer grabbed another pokeball from her jacket pocket and tossed it. In the traditional bright flash of light, another small yellow rodent emerged. This one had lightning bolt-shaped tail. While most of his fur was yellow, his ears were adorned with black tips (one of them pointed) and he had red spots on his cheeks. Ellen's description was so vivid I recognized the species immediately. It was a Pikachu. "Stop that Blitzle! Use Focus Punch!"

As Blitzle's fur began to burn, Pikachu was right after him. His speed was absolutely surprising considering Blitzle's boost of Flame Charge. Pikachu smacked Blitzle right across the muzzle with a glowing cobalt fist. Blitzle was sent into another tumble, landing on his back again.

"Hey! No fair! Zorua! Use Shadow Ball!" Zorua nodded and prepared a Shadow Ball with ease. She blasted the sphere straight and true and managed to score a direct hit on Pikachu who landed on Blitzle.

"No fair? NO FAIR? WHOSE THE ONE WHO TRIPPED ME BACK THERE?"

"At least I don't look like I was just born into a family of Trubbish!"

"Just look at you! All that makeup on you makes you look like a Jinx with even BIGGER lips!"

"My lips are normal-sized!"

"Whatever Swalot!"

"Oh you did NOT just say that!"

"Maybe I did!"

"Yeah?"

"YEAH! GOT A PROBLEM WITH-?"

_"Gurgle," _Ellen and her opponent, along with Pikachu, Blitzle, Zorua, and Emolga (after recovering from that Solarbeam) were all distracted once more. Specifically, by the sound of a stomach growling. And weirdest of all, it came from the sobbing Venipede. Ellen and the other trainer blinked in confusion. Did Venipedes even have stomachs?

"VEEEEEEEN!" Venipede cried some more, obviously out of hunger. Ellen's face suddenly went from angry, to sad. She looked like she was about to cry herself. And in the blink of an eye, she started dashing towards the petit bug-type. She kneeled down next to him and took off her backpack.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-!"

"Hey little guy," Ellen said with utmost sympathy. Venipede opened his eyes between crying fits, the large blue peepers still watering. Ellen reached into her pack. "I know what it's like. Here. It's my last one."

"Ven?" Venipede stopped crying for a moment and stared at Ellen as she took her hand out of the bag, holding a small plastic package of chocloate chip cookies. She tore it open with her teeth and splayed the cookies across the palm of her hand. Venipede blinked rapidly in sudden awareness that he was being offered food. He stared at the cookies with curious eyes. Ellen smiled kindly as he leaned in to take a bite.

"Go pokeball!" Ellen gasped. Just as Venipede looked like he was going to chow down, he was struck on the head by a pokeball. He was knocked away from Ellen just before being yanked inside the sphere. The ball began to roll, one shake at a time. And Ellen could only stand there, stunned. Or at least she did until she turned around and decided to give the girl who threw it a piece of her mind.

"Hey! He was hungry! Can't you wait like two seconds?"

"Shut up! I was after it first! It's mine! Pika! Emon!" Pikachu, after getting his bearings, hopped off Blitzle and ran to stand next to his trainer's ankles. Emolga was right behind him, lighting down on her shoulder. The girl (who was now putting up her fists in a fighting stance) smirked smugly. "Besides! Shouldn't you go play dolls or something with all your other _pretty _little friends? Little girls shouldn't be traversing the great big forest alone."

The word 'pretty' turned into a snarl as it passed the girl's lips. Ellen nearly popped a blood vessel. Her clenched fists were vibrating like a sound wave as she made the most ugliest of faces at the trainer before her. It's a look I've come to call her 'You're Dead Look'.

"YOU..." Ellen said as the pokeball which had ensnared Venipede continued to roll. "...ARE..." The pokeball opened wide, releasing Venipede from within, who started crying again. The girl across from Ellen widened her eyes in shock as Ellen finished her threat. "...DEAD! Blitzle! Zorua! Let's do this thing!"

"Veni!" Ellen felt a nudge at her leg. She looked down and her 'You're Dead Look' faded when she saw it was Venipede who was clinging to her ankle. The bug was looking up at Ellen with watering eyes, still at the package of cookies she had clutched tight in her fists. She grinned and dropped the pack into Venipede's mouth. The insect ran a few feet away after receiving it as his tail began to glow purple. He turned himself around and pierced the plastic with his tail, opening the pack and allowing Venipede to chow down hungrily.

"Okay! As I was saying! You and me girly! Let's dance! Blitzle use Flame Charge on Pikachu! Zorua! Shadow Ball on Emolga!"

"Grr. Fine! If it's a challenge you want, you'll get it! Emon! Electro Ball! Pika use Focus Punch!"

Zorua prepared her Shadow Ball at her muzzle while Emolga got an Elector Ball ready to go at his tail. The two attacks were launched simultaneously and collided, exploding in between the two pokemon. Blitzle rushed towards Pikachu with fur burning bright. Pikachu was just as ready to roll. Both hands had curled into shining blue Focus Punches. He leaped at Blitzle and let loose both hands which collided with Blitzle's face. But in the end, Blitzle overpowered the rodent with sheer size and Pikachu was sent tumbling into the earth.

"Alright Blitzle! Now use Charge Beam! Zorua! Double Team!" Zorua smirked as her form blurred. In seconds she had two clones of her by her side. Then three, then four, then five, and the pattern kept up until Ellen had a whole crowd of Zorua on her side. As for Blitzle, he wasn't letting up on Pikachu. His body was engulfed in flames once more as he blasted ahead to meet with his target. Pikachu, still dazed from the first Flame Charge didn't look like he would be dodging it anytime soon. "Yeah! Do it!"

"'Fraid not! Pika, Discharge! Emon, Acrobatics!" Pikachu, while not having recovered yet, still managed to produce an explosion of electric volts. The move missed Blitzle entirely, but that wasn't the idea. The blasts struck true, but it was the Zorua clones who got the brunt of it. They faded away as the electricity surged through the crowd of doppelgangers like a river through the valley. Ellen clenched her teeth as the strength of the bolts spread wider and wider until the real Zorua was struck. Zorua didn't even scream, but she sure looked in pain.

"Zorua!"

Emolga was no slouch himself. He descended upon Blitzle suddenly gaining surprising speed. Like a tornado, he soared up and over the burning body of Blitzle. Even as the zebra continued to charge onward, the sky squirrel continued to zip around him without even touching him. It wasn't clear what he was doing at first. But when the flames around Blitzle began to die down, it became glaringly obvious.

"Uh oh!" Ellen exclaimed, suddenly flustered.

"Ha! My Emon's Acrobatics move makes wind currents! Fire attacks are rather weak by comparison! Stop crying, baby! It'll all be over soon!"

"I'm not crying!" Though she might have once Flame Charge had completely puttered out and Emolga had moved on to pummeling Blitzle directly with the attack. He went for the legs first causing Blitzle to careen out of control. Once he had tripped, Emolga pelted him with strike after strike, gaining more and more speed each time due to the wind currents he had created. Every time Blitzle tried to get up, he was knocked down again by a strong strike. "Blitzle get up! Please!"

"It's over! Pika! Emon! Both of you use Iron Tail!" Pikachu stopped using Discharge for a moment long enough to set his gleaming eyes on Blitzle. Emolga hovered just above the target, getting the same look in his eye. The two shot themselves like rockets at Blitzle, tails glowing bright. They struck Blitzle hard, sending him rolling a few feet before fainting.

"Blitzle..." Ellen was biting her nails at this point. She didn't know what to do. She'd never been in such a situation. She was still knew at this after all and didn't know how to get out of a strategy after she'd been sucked into it. Ellen gulped audibly. She turned her head to Zorua, whose fur was still giving off smoke after that shot of electricity. Despite this, the fox was Ellen's only shot left. "Zorua! Get up! I know you can do it!"

"No dice! Both of you! Electro Ball!" The electric types were building up power at their tails once more, but this time it was being generated at the tip of the appendages. The Electro Balls were created while Zorua struggled to get on her feet. And soon after she did, Pikachu and Emolga fired. The dual spheres smashed into Zorua's face, blasting the fox into the air and right towards Ellen. My partner caught her best friend in her arms. While that may have been fortunate, the bad news was, Zorua had fainted.

"What...? I...lost...?" Ellen was struck dumbfounded as she sank to her knees. She was at a loss for words. Another coordinator had beaten her with hardly any trouble. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was sinking.

"HA! That's what you get for messing with me!" The opposite trainer taunted as Piakchu and Emolga gave each other a high five. They were grinning madly, as if they'd just had the time of their lives. "Well at least you put up a fight! That wasn't too hard though."

For a moment Ellen said nothing. She simply stared at the grass which had been singed by Blitzle's hooves. The unnamed girl rolled her eyes, thinking Ellen was about to cry. But then she turned her head back up with a smile that spread from ear to ear.

"Sorry I tripped you and everything. I get crazy about contests."

"Oh...well...uh...thanks...I guess.' the girl dismissed the apology with an almost sarcastic reply. And yet, Ellen kept her smile on. I swear, nothing keeps her down. I've tried.

"That was a great battle. I think I learned a few things from-"

"Gag me! All this sappy apologizing is really making me sick!"

"Oh sorry-"

"GAH! YOU DID IT AGAIN! STOP IT ALREADY!"

"Okay I'll-" Ellen was about to apologize once more, but at that moment, she felt a squirmy sensation in her leg. She looked downward and found Venipede, clambering up to her shoulder. The bug began nuzzling Ellen affectionately, making the young coordinator smile. "Hey there little guy!"

"What the-!" Ellen's opponent stared at her in disbelief. She clutched her head and let out a roar that could rival Lenora's Herdier's. "Aw come on Venipede! I won the battle! Grrrr-!"

"What is it?"

"Pfft. Whatever. It's not like I WANT a crybaby pokemon! Listen here you diva!"

"The name's Ellen!"

"Whatever you weirdo! Let's get one thing straight! Just because you have a shiny pokemon doesn't mean you'll impress the judges at the Castelia Contest! I won here and I'll win there!"

"Ha! I'll show you! I'm gonna win for sure next time!"

"As if! Soon you'll hear the name Mikey all over the world! I'm gonna be the best! Just you watch!" And with that final declaration, 'Mikey' got on all fours once more and barreled off into the forest. Piakchu and Emolga blinked at each other and followed at a much slower pace. Ellen giggled as they sauntered off, patting Venipede on the head all the while.

_"For the last time Tony! I'm not carrying you!"  
><em>  
><em>"But I'm tired of Bro carrying me all the time! You should get a turn!"<em>

Ellen's turned around when she heard a pair of pokemon's voices behind her. Naturally, all she heard was "Osha-Osha" and "Tini-Vic" but I heard differently as Tony, Witt and I strode into the clearing. I put a hand up to shade my eyes from the sun as the three of us emerged. Tony and Witt had been arguing the whole way here. And my ears couldn't take much more of it. Luckily, salvation came in the form of Ellen.

"Black! Hey!" I squinted in the sunlight to see Ellen waving at me with one hand and holding up a fainted Zorua with the other.

"Hey Ellen! How 'ya-" I would've said more, but I tripped over Blitzle's slack body at that time. How is it I always land on my nose when I fall? And why does it continue to hurt so much? These questions may never be answered.

"Yikes, what happened here?" I asked as I got up.

"I had a battle with that person I was chasing."

"THAT WAS A PERSON?"

"Yep. But she doesn't like apologies apparently."

"THAT WAS A _GIRL_?"

"Yeah. But...it didn't go so well."

"Hang on. I bought some Revives back in Nacrene City.'

After having Blitzle and Zorua ingest the yellow crystals (to which Blitzle thanked me with a certain amount of dignity) Ellen returned the two to their pokeballs. She then picked Venipede up off her shoulder and looked at his happy eyes.

"Hee hee, you're cute," Ellen said as she hugged the little guy.

"Who's that pokemon?" I asked as I pulled out my pokedex and scanned the centipede in Ellen's arms.

_**"Venipede, the Centipede Pokémon. Venipede explores its surroundings by sensing vibrations in the air with feelers on its head and tail."**_

"Whoa! Ellen! You might want to be careful! His ability is Poison Point! You could be-!"

"Aw, you wouldn't hurt me, would you?" Ellena sked as she cuddled the Venipede right back. I gaped. How was it that Ellen always got lucky with pokemon? I constantly got hurt by them. It just doesn't seem fair.

"Hey, wait a minute..." I paused as I looked from my pokedex to the Venipede, back to the pokedex and back to Venipede. "This one's a different colour from the Venipede in my pokedex."

"Really? Just one more thing that makes you special, huh?" Ellen made the hug tighter, to which the bug didn't struggle against. I suddenly couldn't blame Ellen's pokemon from liking her. The way she constantly made them feel good would make anyone turn to butter. "Hey, do you maybe want to come with me?"

_"Really? I-I yeeeeeeeeeees!" _Venipede cried out as he began bawling his eyes out into Ellen's shirt.

"Is that normal?" I asked.

"Yep. I guess he doesn't like the idea too much."

"If you ask me, I think he's crying in joy."

"You think so?"

_"Please take me with you! I don't wanna be bullied no more!" _Venipede screeched. _"My friends are always pickin' on me! You're really nice lady!"  
><em>  
>I looked upwards to hear the sounds of snickering. I found a group of purple Venipede chuckling as the Venipede in Ellen's arms sobbed.<p>

"Hey there!" I said to the crying Venipede, who took one glance at me and bawled even more.

"It's okay, he's a good guy," Ellen said, patting Venipede on the head. Venipede looked back at me and stopped eerting all the water in his body for the moment.

"Do those guys up there," I pointed to the branches, "tease you for looking different?"

Venipede nodded.

"Wow Black! That's amazing! How did you know?"

"Uh...you know me. I...I'm observant." No one could possibly buy that. I just screwed it up. I cringed as I thought up a more convincing lie.

"Oh. Okay then."

Phew. Crisis averted.

"Well y'know," Ellen said to Venipede. "If you come with me and do contests, people are gonna be real impressed by you."

"Really?" Venipede asked as he tilted his head at my friend.

"I can see it now! Venipede and Ellen! The winners of the Castelia Contest! Whaddya say?" Ellen reached into her bag and took out a pokeball that was covered in pure white all around. I recognized it as a Premier Ball. Venipede stared at the ball for a few seconds before tapping a feeler against it. Instantaneously, the ball opened wide and Venipede was converted into red energy, zipping inside the rare pokeball.

"Allllllllright!" Ellen spun around as Zorua jumped on her shoulder and Blitzle held his head up high next to her. Ellen posed after completing her spin, looking impressive. "We caught Venipede!"

Tony, Witt and I all applauded. What can I say? Ellen brings out the performance skills at all times. She sure was born for contests. But right after that pose of victory, she hung her head. I tilted mine in confusion. What was wrong?

"But...I lost that last battle."

"Meh. That doesn't matter," I said, putting my hand on Ellen's shoulder (resulting in a growl from Blitzle). "Who cares if you lost this time? You'll win next time!"

"But she didn't even try. I think she's a pro!"

"Come on Ellen! Don't let that stop ya! I lost to Cheren. And though I'm gonna kill him the next time I see him, that's no reason to be in a slump!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, come on! Keep your head up!"

_Black:__ I've been waiting on the sunset,_  
><em>Bills on my mindset,<em>  
><em>I can't deny they're getting high!<em>  
><em>Higher than my income,<em>  
><em>My income's breadcrumbs,<em>  
><em>I've been trying to survive.<em>  
><em>The glow that the sun gives,<em>  
><em><span>(Black, Ellen and the pokemon start walking out of the clearing, Black is skipping.)<span>_

_Right around sunset,_  
><em>Helps me realize,<em>  
><em>This is just a journey,<em>  
><em>Drop your worries.<em>  
><em>You are gonna turn out fine.<em>  
><em>Oh, you'll turn out fine.<em>  
><em>Fine, oh, you'll turn out fine.<em>

_(Ellen walks down the path with her two pokemon. Black, Tony and Witt start singing while tap dancing around them.)_

_Witt:__ But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_  
><em><span>Tony:<span>__ And you can let your hair down, eh._  
><em><span>Witt:<span>__ You gotta keep your head up, oh,_  
><em><span>Tony:<span>__ And you can let your hair down, eh._  
><em><span>All Three: <span>__I know it's hard, know it's hard,_  
><em>To remember sometimes,<em>  
><em>But you gotta keep your head up, oh,<em>  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>

_Black:__ I've got my hands in my pockets,_  
><em>Kickin' these rocks.<em>  
><em>It's kinda hard to watch this life go by.<em>  
><em>I'm buyin' in the skeptics,<em>  
><em>Skeptics mess with,<em>  
><em>The confidence in my eyes<em>  
><em>I'm seeing all the angles,<em>  
><em>Starts to get tangled<em>  
><em>I start to compromise<em>  
><em>My life and the purpose.<em>  
><em>Is it all worth it,<em>  
><em>Am I gonna turn out fine?<em>

_(Black replaces his hat with a top hat. Tony and Witt put one on each.)_

_Oh, you'll turn out fine._  
><em>Fine, oh, you'll turn out fine.<em>  
><em><span>Witt: <span>__But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_  
><em><span>Tony: <span>__And you can let your hair down, eh._  
><em><span>Witt: <span>__You gotta keep your head up, oh,_  
><em><span>Tony: <span>__And you can let your hair down, eh._  
><em><span>Black: <span>__I know it's hard, know it's hard,_  
><em>To remember sometimes,<em>  
><em>But you gotta keep your head up, oh,<em>  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>

_(The forest around them begins to dwindle as Black and the two pokemon keep one step ahead of Ellen and hers, dancing and singing to them.)_

_Only rainbows after rain_  
><em>The sun will always come again.<em>  
><em>It's a circle, circling,<em>  
><em>Around again, it comes around again.<em>  
><em>I say only rainbows after rain<em>  
><em>The sun will always come again.<em>  
><em>It's a circle, circling,<em>  
><em>Around again, it comes around<em>

_(The forest eventually disappears behind the group; the looming form of a gargantuan bridge appearing on the horizon.)_

_All Three: __But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>  
><em>You gotta keep your head up, oh,<em>  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>  
><em>I know it's hard, know it's hard,<em>  
><em>To remember sometimes,<em>  
><em>But you gotta keep your head up, oh,<em>  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>

_(The group walks past a sign stating "Ahead, Skyarrow Bridge".)_

_Keep your head up, oh,_  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>  
><em>Keep your head up, oh,<em>  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>  
><em>Keep your head up, oh,<em>  
><em>And you can let your hair down, eh.<em>

_(Black, Tony and Witt pose for Ellen, Blitzle and Zorua in front of the bridge.)_

_I said ohhhh no no no no..._

"Wow, thanks Black. You're too great!" Ellen said as Witt, Tony and I all panted from that bit of dancing we just did. Whoops, brought the musical number up. I'm not supposed to do that. I'll shut my mouth.

"Well, congrats on getting a new pokemon!" I replied as Witt and Tony jumped onto my shoulders. I took out my map, opening it wide to see where we were. "Oh hey! It says here we're close to Castelia! We just need to cross some Skyarrow Bridge!"

"Um, Black?"

"Remember Ellen, if you see a bridge, lemme know, okay?"

"Black!"

"This is weird, we should be able to see it from the forest. Stupid map must be-!"

"BLACK!" Ellen yelled with a laugh as she grabbed me by the arms and spun me around. I gasped. How did I miss that? There was the bridge. It was the largest piece of architecture I've ever seen. I was like an ant compared to this thing. I felt the rush of cars as they travelled on and off the bridge at top speed. They all seemed to be in a rush, making me clutch onto my hat as they roared past. "I can't believe you missed that! That's funny!"

"Yeah, a laugh riot," I sighed as Ellen and I strode up the stairs of the bridge . It had two ways to go. A way for cars, and a way for on-foot travellers. This way had a metal staircase leading up to it. And coincidentally, it was the same side as the road. We walked across the steel grating, the tall skyscrapers of Castelia becoming more and more defined as we strode towards them. The clanks of our feet against the metal below us was almost muffled out by the howling winds which almost blew my hat off.

Until my stomach exploded in a blast of butterflies. I stopped in my tracks. There were other people on this bridge. Of course, they were, it was a bridge after all. But what made me almost scream was one particular person on this bridge. Someone looking over the side with a silent interest. A person who I never wanted to see again in a million years. I grabbed Ellen and his the two of us behind a nearby trash can, hoping he didn't see us.

"Black what are you-?"

"SHHH!" I said, covering her mouth. I took a withering glance over the trash can. I exhaled in relief. He hadn't seen me. He was stills taring into the waters below. But we weren't even twenty feet from him. If he had to throw something in the trash, we were screwed. You may be wondering who this mystery person was. Well he had me running in terror so there's really only two people it could be. I'll give you a hint. It wasn't Yuki.

"Who is that guy?" Ellen asked as she looked over the trash can as well. I swallowed hard.

"His name...His name..."

"Yeah?"

"...N."

Yes, I'm serious. The green-haired young man was staring off the bridge, seemingly not a care in the world. But it was okay. If I could just sneak past him, I was in the clear. After all, he was intently focused on the waters below. As long as nothing drew attention over here, we would be safe.

I really need to keep my big mouth zipped shut.

"Black?"

"What?"

"Your bag is glowing again."

"HUH?" I shouted and almost immediately regretted it. But that wasn't until after I opened my bag and looked inside. N was the last thing on my mind as I picked up the object that was glowing. I opened my egg case and sat down, placing the sparkling egg in my lap. It was blinding to look at, but I couldn't take my eyes off it. I grinned as wide as I ever had. I was witnessing a pokemon being born! What could possibly be better?

**End of Chapter Eighteen!**

**Wow, sorry guys for the length of time again. School has been kicking my behind! I have literally had NO TIME to write. It's all been dedicated to homework. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I tried to put more musical elements into the musical number this time, hence the top hats that appeared out of nowhere. I tried to give Ellen her own chapter and I hope the bit at the end didn't ruin it too much. **

**Venipede can learn Solarbeam through TM. (So can Tepig and its evolutions. Did you know that? I sure didn't. Hmmm.)**

**Emolga can learn Iron Tail through breeding.**

**Pikachu can learn Focus Punch through TM. **

**Featured Song: Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer (as requested by awyeah21)**

**In the next chapter, Black meets up with N once again. Not only that, but it appears a new pokemon is about to find its way into the world! What will happen next? Read next time to find out! (Yes. Yes I do know how cheesy this last bit sounds.)**

**Next Chapter: Bury-N the Hatch-et**

**PS - I love puns.**


	19. BuryN the Hatchet

**Hey! Remember me? Sorry for not updating.**

**Alright, Chapter Nineteen! Are you all ready to find out what's been in that egg that's been taunting you since Chapter Three? Are you even reading this? If you are, I'm glad you respect me enough to read this portion. And if you skipped it, I'll know. There'll be a quiz later on.**

**...I wonder if I'm losing my edge.**

**Review Responses: harison86 - I already have three pokemon from you, so no. He's good for the competition. **

**Capito Celcior - Thanks for the props. And I get it. The songs aren't for everyone. Some of my readers like 'em, some hate 'em. Me personally? I like using them, so I don't think I'll be stopping with them. Good news for you though, this chapter doesn't have one. I'll be using them a lot more sparingly in the future.**

**OG Sam - Yes. Clearly. SARCASM FTW! **

**Chapter 19: Bury-N the Hatch-et**

"I don't believe it!" Ellen exclaimed as she and I stared at my glowing egg with wide eyes and broad smiles. Tony and Witt on my shoulders were looking equally dazzled. "It's finally happening!"

I couldn't even answer her. My muscles were tingling with excitement. We got stares from all around us as the egg shone even brighter. My lips quivered. I was finally going to find out what this mystery pokemon was. The pokemon that I had technically gotten on the first night of my journey. I'd finally learn just what it was.

I felt the egg begin to grow in size. The sudden weight gain was a definite sign of it. The egg wasn't faking me out this time. I could feel it growing in my arms. In fact, it was getting too heavy. My arms gave way and the newborn creature plopped into my lap. I felt fur grow as if from nowhere as well as...scales? That couldn't be right. I was beginning to sweat. What if my pokemon wasn't even a pokemon? What if it was some sort of demon-spawn that- y'know what? I really need to stop doing that. I assume to much. In fact, I was so caught up in my jumping to conclusions that I didn't notice that the light was beginning to fade. I caught on fast and soon, I was too eager to even blink. I twitched in anticipation. The light died out, more and more until-

"What is it?" Ellen asked with a wide-eyed grin. She was almost as ecstatic as me. Almost.

I couldn't even speak. I was too happy. I had just witnessed a pokemon hatch from its egg. There were no words to describe how much I loved the thing curled up in my arms in that moment. I didn't even care what it was. Gee, is that how mothers feel?

But if YOU cared what he was, I'll tell you. He was a quadruped, about the size of a dog, but had a long neck. From the base of the neck to around the greater surface area of the head, the newborn pokemon was covered in sleek black fur, leaving only the muzzle of his head visible. The fur at the base of his neck was speckled with streaks of red, completing this awesome little guy. His lizard-like snout was covered in blue scales, along with the rest of his body that wasn't covered in fur.

I almost cried. I had been taking care of that egg for so long now. This tiny life form which I had carried around with me and looked so forward to taking care of had finally been born. And now that it happened, I didn't know what to say. So I did the only thing my joy-drunk mind could think of. I hugged the hatchling tight. I don't think I'd ever been so eager to see an infant. I couldn't even say anything to him.

He apparently had a different mindset. The lizard began poking my chest with his muzzle and I heard the soft puffs of his breathing. Was it me, or was he sniffing me?

_"Mama!" _The young one said softly before giving my face a lick with his sticky tongue. He began wagging his tail, like a puppy and started nuzzling me. I groaned. I shouldn't have jinxed it by comparing myself to a mother. All the same, I pet his soft fur as he continued to cuddle up to me. I loved him already.

"What is it?" Ellen asked, almost as excited as me. Almost.

"A Deino!" I shouted.

In retrospect, that wasn't the best idea.

"Deino," I froze as that all too familiar voice said that word. I grimaced. Oh no. Was it possible that N heard my insane yelling? The answer was completely dependent upon N's ability to hear. No matter how unlikely, I hoped he went deaf in those last couple of seconds. I swung my head up and cursed myself for not praying hard enough. There he was. The green-haired freak who made my skin tremble in terror. Meep. "Hello. Would you mind telling me what kind of person your trainer is?"

I was too busy trembling in fear to tell him to shove it. This guy was the second biggest psychopath I've ever met (the first being Yuki) and I didn't want to discover what he would do if he saw my pokedex. Deino however, didn't seem to realize the danger. Instead, he sniffed in N's direction for a moment. He pulled his head back then returned to nuzzling my chest just before making another exclamation of, _"Mama!"_

"Mama...?" N had a blank look on his face, to which I had to snigger at a little just as I stood up and backed away defensively from N. The lizard remained oblivious to the oncoming terror and simply continued to cuddle me. "...Why...would a pokemon...call a human mama?"

"Because he was just BORN you Bag of Crazy!" I had a shaking voice and I knew it. But who cared? This guy creeped me out on so many levels. Witt and Tony were desperately trying to keep balance on my shoulders due to all my stumbling around, but that didn't matter. All I was thinking about was the extraordinary amount of running I was about to do. "ELLEN! LET'S GOOOO!"

And that was when I booked it. I felt Deino bite onto my shirt as I sped up, obviously startled by my sudden desire to get the hell out of there. However, it's not like he would have been safe back there. I dashed down the bridge at full speed, hoping Ellen could keep up. I spun my head around to see how far she'd gotten. And once I did, I swallowed audibly once more. Oh no. She wasn't running. She was standing, but she wasn't running. Instead, she stuck her hand out, as if she was expecting N to shake it and said, "Hey! Nice to meet you. I'm Ellen!"

"NO YOU FOOL! RUN!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, drawing the attention of several bystanders. It hardly mattered. Ellen had to get out of there before that weirdo got one of his pokemon to rip her heart out or something.

N gave a puzzled look at Ellen's handshake gesture before thrusting his hand out in the same way. But he seemed to be unaware of what a handshake was since his hand wasn't even touching Ellen's. Ellen blinked quizzically before giving a toothy grin and taking N's hand, shaking it far too roughly. N looked surprised for a moment as she continued to handle his hand like this. Eventually I wondered when he was gonna bring the abnormally powerful pokemon out and kick her butt. Come to think of it, it might have been good that I didn't wait for that. I rushed back, karate chopping N's hand with all my strength so that he yelped and let go of Ellen. Much to my discomfort, I got between them, grinding my teeth like a snarling wolf.

"You just stay away from her N!" I yelled at the top of my voice, hoping to get a few people to call the police if I made a big enough scene. Instead, N just brought his face closer to Deino's, making me cringe again. He just had to make everything weird, didn't he?

"So Deino," N whispered in a voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, "what kind of person is your pokedex-wielding trainer?"

I gulped again. He remembered me. The one person in the world I could bear to have forget about me, and he remembered. Why? Why is my face only forgettable when I DON'T want it to be?

_"Mama?" _Deino gave N's visage one sniff and looked back at me. _"I scared mama."_

"Hear that? You're scaring him!" I said, making N pull back in moderate surprise. "Just like the rest of the world!"

"The world is a dangerous place for pokemon. I know." Not what I meant, N. "But you shouldn't be afraid of me, Deino."

"Well guess what? He is! So I guess I'll see you later! Ellen let's-"

"Come on Black, don't be so rude," Ellen chimed in as she wrapped an arm around mine. She simultaneously coiled her other arm around N's. She then, with a surprising amount of strength, began to drag us both forward along the bridge, drawing as many eyes as she could manage. "I just made a new friend, so I'm taking him and my best buddy out for lunch! You don't mind paying, do you Black?"

"What? NO! ELLEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" I screeched for someone, anyone to hear me. I was being pulled into a lunch with a crazy person. Scratch that. Lunch with two crazy people. And I didn't know who was crazier. The crazy guy, or the girl who thought the crazy guy would make a good friend. Witt and Tony were just hanging off my shoulders, completely bewildered as to why I was yelling my head off. And Deino was content as long as I was carrying him. But I wasn't. I needed to get out of there. Fast. With Ellen's luck, she'd be fine, I was sure. But considering the amount of beatings I'd taken on my journey thus far, I wasn't as confident in my own ability to survive an encounter with N.

"I am...hungry..." My mind froze as N said this. I turned to look at his face, seeing nothing but a look a starved child might give to his mother. My eyes widened with shock and confusion. I'm fairly sure he wanted to kill me when last we met. And now...we were going out to lunch? What universe have I landed in? "Also...?"

"Yeah? What'cha need N?" Ellen asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"We're...friends?"

"'Course we are! A nice big handshake is how I say hello to my new pals!" Unless you're me, and she makes friends by mistaking you for a member of Team Plasma.

The trip across the bridge seemed a lot shorter when you're thinking about how you were going to squirm out of it. The arches of the bridge passed above me as my brain got working. For a moment, I considered just biting the bullet and being civil with N for about an hour. But after I realized that that idea was an impossibility I began getting crazy ideas. Seriously, jumping off the bridge sounded more desirable at that point. I was so caught up in these routes of action that I didn't even register the stairs that Ellen was dragging us down. We had made it to the end of the bridge with all that walking and I hadn't even noticed. I didn't even notice the busy streets Ellen was now leading us towards. All of them jammed with traffic and disorder. Horns honked and angry drivers hollered insults at one another. The smell of exhaust was in the air. But what I especially didn't notice were the enormous skyscrapers looming above our heads. N stared at them in wonder and Ellen's eyes were shimmering. It was a beautiful city. Unfortunately, all I could think about was how I could escape into one of the dark alleyways and hide.

Suddenly I felt something heavy hit me in the gut. After letting out a loud "Hoof!" I looked down to find that Deino was breathing into my jacket and making uncomfortable noises.

_"Mama, I no like smell," _he said as he squirmed in my arms restlessly. I sniffed the air and realized that maybe exhaust wasn't the best thing to subject a child to. I was worried about him, but at the same time, it offered me an excuse. Hated to use my newborn pokemon as a method of escape, but it would be worth it for both of us.

"Hey, Ellen, here's some cash for lunch," I said as I slapped twenty pokedollars into her hand. She released my arm to see the money and I instantly zipped out of her reach, smiling awkwardly. "You and N seem to be getting along. I'll leave you two alone. I need to take Deino to the pokemon center! 'Kay bye!"

"Wait Black!" Darn it, she was too quick. I felt her hand clasp my shoulder, and it might as well have been made of ice. So close. I was SO close. "We can just have lunch at the pokemon center, if it's that urgent."

"Oh...well...I thought...that..."

"Come on, it should be this way!"

* * *

><p>"Feel better now Deino?" I asked my new friend as I brushed his fur. I had him sit up on a table at the pokemon center, his tail wagging as he breathed in the air-conditioned oxygen of the pokemon center. I'd be much happier about taking care of my pokemon if N and Ellen weren't sitting across the table from me, eating as they watched my do so. But hey, at least N wasn't assaulting me this time.<p>

_"Better!" _Deino cried out in joy, his tail wagging some more. Pretty sure he didn't know what the word meant, but he was happy. So I was happy.

"That reminds me," I said as I emptied out a bowl of pokemon food for him. The dragon pokemon sniffed at it for a few seconds before opening his mouth wide and chomping down at least half the bowl in just one bite. I don't mean just the food, I mean the WHOLE BOWL. And it was made of plastic. Yikes. And I thought Tony had an appetite. "Uh...as I was saying. I still haven't given you a nickname, have I?"

I stole a glance at N. I remembered his last comment about nicknames from our first battle and wanted to know how he'd react to it. Maybe he'd show his true colours and Ellen would stop forcing me to hang out with him. But to my surprise and frustration, he didn't flinch or anything. He just continued to eat his Pop Tart (with a FORK I might add), seemingly unaware of what I just said. I sneered at him. It's like it was a completely different guy than the one I tackled back on the road to Accumula. He wasn't attacking me with a Purrloin, he wasn't hammering in a Team Plasma-esque message, and he especially wasn't trying to destroy my pokedex. Was it a Jekyll and Hyde thing? When the moon goes up, does he just transform into some freak of nature who tries to murder any pokedex-bearers? I dunno. I never did figure this guy out.

"Hmm," I rolled my eyes while in thought. Oh well. As long as he wasn't being a jerk, I guess I could focus on thinking up a nickname for my newborn Deino. "Let's see. Deino. Dein. Dean? no, sounds like an old man's name. Dein. Den. Denny?"

"What? No way!" Ellen cried out as I said the name I intended for Deino to have. I blinked at her in confusion. "You're gonna get a name from the species name? How lame is that?"

"Like you're one to talk! Last time I checked, you didn't nickname Zorua, Blitzle or Venipede!"

"It just happened to slip my mind, okay? But your Deino is sooooo cute. You can't give it the name Denny. You need a cuter name."

"What did you have in mind?" I really shouldn't have asked that.

"I'm gonna call him Perry!"

"Perry? Come on, there's no way he's gonna like-"

_"Perry!" _my heart sunk as I heard Deino repeat her. I all but freaked out.

"No no no. Don't listen to her, your name's Denny!"

_"Perry!" _I groaned. It was too late. He already accepted the nickname. I hung my head in shame. And Ellen was gloating up a storm.

"Well, it seems _Perry _likes his new name, doesn't it?" Ellen said with a smug smile, glancing at me with a look that just screamed, 'in your face'. She may not have understood what Deino said, but it sure was obvious to her. She was never going to let me forget it. "What do you think of it N? Suits him, right?"

I got a glimmer of hope. If she was asking N's opinion, that meant he had to say it. Which meant he was gonna be showing his true self today. I was gonna like the look on Ellen's face when she realized we were dealing with a Team Plasma sympathizer.

"I can't really say," N replied. I nearly punched him in the face. That little rat! He wormed his way out of it. I didn't want to reveal N myself, since if I did, he might get angry at my accusations and attempt to annihilate me. However, this was getting annoying. How had N changed so drastically since our last run-in? And if this change was legit, then how in the hell did it happen? I! NEED! CLARITY!

"Aw that's no fun! Hey I know! I should show you all of my pokemon!" Ellen reached into her pockets and took out her three pokeballs, giving them a toss. "Zorua, Venipede, Blitzle, come on out!"

Her three pokemon appeared in a flash of light and almost immediately, Venipede moved like a motorbike towards Ellen. The insect clambered onto her leg and looked up at her with watering eyes. Zorua rolled her own eyes while Blitzle stood a little taller, clearly wanting to be above such grovelling.

"Hey Venipede! Are you hungry?" Venipede's tears made for an obvious 'yes'. "Okay then. Settle down. Here. Some fresh pokemon food. Zorua, Blitzle! Got some for you too!" Blitzle trotted over with dignity, leaning over and eating from his food bowl silently as well as elegantly. Zorua on the other hand, was less interested in her food and instead stared at the green-topped boy eating a toasted treat. N stared back with that child-like wonder still plastered across his face.

"So Zorua,' N began, "how do you feel about your trainer Ellen?"

I wondered how Zorua would answer. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard Zorua speak. She had always managed to remain incredibly silent around me. Ellen didn't seem to mind. Then again, Ellen can't hear any pokemon talking.

Zorua didn't indulge me. All she did was stare at N for a few seconds, then she got a sneaky grin on her face. She jumped and flipped over, suddenly becoming surrounded in her pink shape-shifting aura. And when it faded, I nearly fainted. Zorua...hadn't transformed into another pokemon. She had become N. Only, with one specific difference. This N had a black bushy tail protruding from his backside.

"Two...N's...oh dear..." I stuttered in fear. N widened his eyes in shock. Ellen...was Ellen. All she did was laugh and give N a friendly cuff to the shoulder.

"Ha ha! Y'see that? Zorua likes you!"

"How can you tell?" N asked. "When she didn't even say so?" I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe that THAT was the first question on his mind.

"Are you kidding? Zorua always transforms into people she likes. They usually take it the wrong way though. And of course she didn't say so. Not like I can hear what she would say anyway. But I don't need to either! She and I have been together since I was just a little kid!"

"Hey Ellen? I never asked. How _did _you meet Zorua anyway?" I asked as Perry leaped onto my lap, cuddling up to me once more. And with another loud exclamation of _"Mama!" _he began licking my face again. As this was going on, Zorua turned back into herself and jumped onto Ellen's shoulder, grinning. Ellen patted her on the head.

"Really? I never told you this story? That's great! Now N can hear it too!" Ellen sat down, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the table, holding it up to Zorua and letting her take a bite. "It all started when I was just a wee little girl in my cute yellow dress. Me and my sister had gotten separated from our parents in the Driftveil Market. My sister grabbed my hand and said we should head home and meet the folks there. She was always a buzzkill. I wanted to explore some more but she wouldn't let me. So we were on our way home, my sis was worried about every shadow that leaped around ever corner. Naturally, I was in the lead, skipping along. When all of a sudden, this big burly guy pops out of the alleyway up ahead. My sis hid behind me, completely afraid. I said, 'Hello mister' and he looked at me all weird. He scratched his head and grinned at me. I smiled back. That's when I saw a poster that said 'WANTED' on the telephone pole beside him with his picture on it. I told him that he looked a lot like that guy in the photo, and he turned around to look at it. That's when I noticed he had a big black tail. It was just like the tail of a pokemon, so me, being a pokemon enthusiast, squeezed it. Then the man just...shrunk. Turns out it was a little newborn Zorua, just trying to give people a little scare! She's a natural prankster. That came in handy when the actual guy on the wanted poster showed up. He was pretty angry that my little pal here was using his face. But it was no problem. Zorua turned into a really big Druddigon, at least twice the height of that guy. But see, that was the iffy part. Zorua can't do voices, she can only copy images. Zorua gave me a look and...well...I dunno. I guess things just clicked between us, because all of a sudden I was making a big roar. Loud enough to sound like it was coming from a Druddigon. The criminal guy ran away, right into a pair of police officers. That sure was fun, wasn't it Zorua?"

Zorua nodded, still snacking on that apple.

"Yeah. And ever since then, I've been hiding Zorua from my parents. no help from my sister though. But all the same, she was rather easy to hide since she can change into a lamp at any time. And when I heard contests were in Unova, my uncle helped me get my journey started. He was great. He helped me get my hands on some pokeballs and-"

"Your uncle helped you find pokeballs?" N spoke up for the first time in a while. Ellen and I turned our attention toward him. He had finished his meal during Ellen's story and was no staring right at Ellen, his brow slightly furrowed. "How exactly?"

"Well, he owns the biggest pokeball factory in Unova. So it was easy for him."

"I see. So I have your uncle to blame."

"Huh? To blame for-?"

"AHHHHHHH!" I banged my fists against the table, causing Perry to snap to alertness in my lap. He was about to say it. HE WAS ABOUT TO SAY IT! I snarled at the young boy who had just ran into the pokemon center screaming his head off. What could possibly be so important that he had to capture the gaze of everyone in the center? And subsequently take away N's revelation? "Everybody! It's an emergency!"

"CAN'T IT WAIT LIKE TWO SECONDS?" I shouted visciously in vain. The boy was taken aback, sweating profusely.

"Um...sorry, but like I said: EMERGENCY!"

"What is it? Please, calm down!" Nurse Joy said as she emerged from behind the pokemon center's counter.

"Okay...Okay...Okay...s'just...I don't like bugs!"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"THE VENIPEDE! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! AHHHHH!" The boy started bawling his eyes out in fear, running faster than Bianca when she sees a cute pokemon to the guest rooms. His sobs could be heard down the hall, making us all a tad afraid inside.

"The Venipede? What does he mean by that?" Ellen wondered aloud as she returned her own Venipede to his pokeball and Blitzle to his before sauntering outside of the pokemon center. Not wanting to be left alone with N, I zipped after her, still cradling Perry in my arms. I should really have thought about catching him but at that time I was too busy pursuing Ellen. I was also a little curious about what was going on, though admittedly that curiosity hardly matched my overwhelming fear of having a conversation with N.

"What...in...the...?" I managed to get out before staring in shock at the scenery around me. That guy back there had been scared for a reason. Venipede were everywhere alright. The world was flooded with purple and green with only fading shades of the road and buildings breaking through the cracks of the veil. The bug pokemon comingled in packs, driving full grown men out of their cars, screeching like school girls. I heard the screams of terror all around me, as well as the slamming of doors while the Castelia population ran for cover. I felt something clutch at my ankles. My gaze ventured downward to find one such Venipede crawling around my legs, either oblivious to me or simply not threatened by me. Which meant most of them weren't afraid of people. Which meant they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Great, it was my favourite kind of problem. The kind that doesn't go away with time.

"What's goin' on?" Ellen asked as she stepped back to avoid a stampede of Venipede coming our way. I followed suit, making sure to keep Perry far away from any possible danger. I heard him take another whiff towards the Venipede and he planted his face into my chest again.

_"Perry no like crawly-things mama!"_

"What the-? How did you-?" I'd be more amazed by the Venipede if Perry hadn't clearly just identified the Venipede as bugs (or "crawly-things", whichever you prefer). Why am I surprised? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that all Deino are born BLIND! I shifted Perry carefully under one arm and took out my pokedex for some information on the situation.

_**"Deino. The Irate Pokemon. Deino are born blind and will bite at everything and anything to get a sense for its surroundings. However, Deino also have a heightened sense of smell which identifies pokemon as well as people. The first scent of a lifeform that a Deino smells is who that Deino will consider its mother."**_

"Well that explains the mama thing," I said to myself as I put the pokedex away and carried Perry in both my arms once again.

"AHA!" Ellen yelled right in my ear. Perry and I both cringed at the sudden volume shift. Naturally, I staggered backwards a few steps, suddenly afraid of that sudden change in her attitude. I looked back at Ellen and gulped. She had her 'you're dead look' on at full power. "I KNEW IT!"

"Knew what? You're scaring me here!"

"I KNEW you could talk to pokemon!"

"Wh-What?" Oh no, she'd figured it out! I was so screwed. "Wh-Where'd you get that idea?"

"Don't give me that bull! You knew my Blitzle wanted me to ride him back in Pinwheel Forest! I even heard you chatting with him! You knew the reason my Venipede cries a lot was because he was bullied! Which you could have only done if you ASKED HIM! Not to mention that little interaction back there when I gave Perry his nickname! And look at you now! The pokedex says that a Deino calls whatever scent he smells first his mother! And who did he smell first? YOU! So I have to assume he calls you 'Mama'. And you just said 'Well that explains the mama thing'! You're not so good at hiding it y'know! I'm not an IDIOT Black!"

"Uhhhhhhhh..." Oh no. I was gonna be labeled as 'nutjob' for the rest of my life. Ellen was seriously ticked. I hate it when women get mad at me. It's so hard to get them to stop. I had SO underestimated her and now I was paying for it. My clothes started feeling increasingly warm. I knew just how addicted to vengeance she could get. Just look at Team Plasma.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me the truth this whole time!"

"Listen Ellen, I can explain-"

"Explain what? That you never told me that I could have had a good conversation with my pokemon this whole time? DO YOU REALIZE HOW AWESOME THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN?"

"Wait Ellen! I swear I can...scusie?" Was she saying what I think she was saying?

"Yeah! Didn't anyone tell you that it's rude not to be straight forward with people?"

"Wait...you don't...find it weird?"

"OF COURSE NOT! IT'S THE MOST AWESOME THING I'VE EVER HEARD!"

"Then why are you yelling at me?"

"BECAUSE YOU LIED! SO I'M VENTING OUT MY ANGER!"

"Can't it wait? We're kind of in the middle of a Venipede invasion here!"

"DON'T TELL ME WHEN I CAN AND CAN'T VENT MY ANGER! I SWEAR! IF YOU LIE TO ME AGAIN YOU'RE REALLY GONNA GET IT! Okay, done."

"Really? That was...short." I replied, completely bewildered.

"'Eh, that's my problem. It's kind of embarrassing, but my parents tell me I mood-swing a lot. Can you believe that?"

"It's inconceivable," I rolled my eyes as inconspicuously as possible.

"So...you _can _hear it," said a voice directly behind me, making a shiver go down my neck. I now leaped closer towards Ellen and turned, not wanting to have my back facing N. He had snuck up behind me (again, like the weirdo he was) and had spoken in the most creepy, inhuman voice I'd ever heard. Somebody really needs to put a bell around this guy's neck. Whoever set him loose on the world needs common sense. And Ellen was completely oblivious. You could tell it just by looking at her. In her opinion, he was a stand-up guy. "You...are the first human being I've met who can hear it."

"H-Hear what?" I asked, fearing the answer that would come.

"Their voices,' N replied as his hat began to squirm. I gulped, hoping he didn't have some kind of third arm. What? He's creepy. It's natural to assume it right away. But no, the hat popped up like a Drilbur poking its head out off a burrow, and underneath was a pokemon. A blue-beetle-like pokemon with a blackened face as well as black arms and legs. He had a sparkling pair of of white fangs, which distracted from the cheery little smile on his face.

"Hey...that a...Karrablast?" I asked in interest, talking to N in a civil tone for the first time.

"This is my friend," N said simply, "and soon we are going to take the Castelia Gym challenge. And we will win."

"Huh? Y-You're going to battle?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think that's a tad hypocritical?"

"Hypo-crit-y-call? I am unaware of what that word means." That time, I really did facepalm.

"Ugh! It means-"

"Litwick use Flamethrower," my voice clenched up as I heard a familiar voice say those words. Oh no. First N, and now that guy? No way. I couldn't take it. I would run away if I had to. My baby Deino should not be growing up in such conditions. All these unbearable people around could NOT be good for an infant's health.

A flash of fire emerged from a nearby alleyway. Soon afterwards, a group of Venipede rushed out, their antennae singed and smoking. They were soon speeding up after hearing another order of Flamethrower, a flurry of flames in hot pursuit. I narrowed my brow. Now that was no way to get rid of Venipede. They were cluttering the streets in mobs, I admit it, but that didn't mean you could just blast them with Flamethrower while they weren't looking. They weren't even hurting anybody. And if I didn't know who it was that was doing it, I might have spoken up before N did.

"HOW DARE YOU!" N freaked out, causing both Ellen and I to pull back a bit. N ventured into the alleyway, suddenly transforming back into the psycho I met in the woods. I didn't get it. What was the difference between now and then?

"What are you talking about?" The other voice who I was all too familiar with retorted in an emotionless tone. "All I'm doing is driving out these Venipede."

"Perhaps this is their new home? Have you thought of that?"

"What? Are you an idiot? This is a city. People live here. Moron." Ah, you just never get tired of that incessantly monotoned voice.

"They live here now. Perhaps it is the people who should 'clear out'."

"Yeah, that would include you too. So I don't know why you're making such a fuss."

I sighed. I was gonna have to break this up, wasn't I? I didn't exactly agree with N, but I didn't like how this guy was treating these Venipede either. I turned to Ellen, hoping she had something to say that would stop me. But no. All she was doing was giving her head a scratch, probably wondering why N was suddenly talking like that. Oh well, at least she was aware of his true nature now. Or, at least she was for a second before she placed her hands on my shoulders and grinned her Ellen-grin.

"Well, let's go take care of that."

"Say what?"

"Come on, that's no way to treat a Venipede! Let's go with N and tell that jerk off!" Ellen grabbed my arm once again and I was dragged against my will for the second time that evening. Why me? We turned the corner...and I screamed.

Let's get one thing straight before we continue. Do you remember when my story began? When I said that I never had experiences with pokemon? Well, that's not _exactly _true. Usually, I'm ecstatic about every pokemon I can catch a glimpse of. But if you twisted my arm and asked me what my least favourite pokemon was, I would tell you loud and clear. One word. One word that made my blood curdle and my brain implode in on itself. One terrifying word that chilled me to my spine.

Litwick.

And there was one standing right in front of N. My hands began to shake as I stared at those malefic beady eyes and that grotesque little smile. I clenched my teeth and tried to turn away only to be held in place by Ellen. If you've never met a Litwick then you don't understand. These things are terrifying.

_"Mama...scared?" _Perry asked, making me stop in my tracks. I suddenly wasn't the only one shaking. I could now feel the newborn dragon in my clutches quivering like a frightened puppy. I gulped. I was a parent now. Which meant I had to be strong. But remember this. I haaaaate Litwicks. Nevertheless I swallowed my desire for escape and patted Perry's head.

"Nope. No reason to be scared." Perry wagged his tail again. I groaned inside. This wasn't going to be easy.

"And who are you?" I heard the dull voice of the person who owned the Litwick speak up once again. I glared at him. I wasn't a huge fan of the guy before, but now I hated him almost as much as I hated Cheren. Seriously, at this moment, I'd rather have had that private conversation with N back in the pokemon center.

"Hey. Wassup, Trip?" I asked the blandest kid I've ever battled with my brow furrowed and a frown on my face. Trip too appeared not to have remembered me. Weird, since you'd think he'd at least look at all those pictures he's taken with that camera of his.

"Do I know you?"

"Ugh, the name's Black. You and I battled back at the Accumula Battle Club. I was with the Victini, remember?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. What do you want?"

"What do I want? I WANT YOU TO STOP BEING A JERK! Those Venipede weren't doing anything to you!"

"They're _invading _the city in case you haven't noticed. I'm just doing my part to clear the infestation."

"That's not the way to do it! Don't you think it's weird that a whole bunch of pokemon came to a city? WHERE HUMANS LIVE? Because, y'know, I thought they might've been happier in their natural habitat!"

"Would you mind getting to the point?"

"GAH! You are SO aggravating! Y'know that? I dunno why these Venipede are here, but they're not trying to hurt anyone so don't TRY and hurt them!"

"If they come here, then it's their own fault. I'm just getting them out of _this _habitat."

"Grrr! I've had it with your pompous attitude! Okay, you and me-"

"-LET'S BATTLE!" I blinked and turned my head towards N. He and I had just said that at the same time. He was glaring at Trip with the same amount of frustration I just had. Oh no, why am I suddenly seeing so many similarities between us? That doesn't bode well.

"N? What are you-?"

"I can't stand people like you," N said, staring daggers at Trip (who seemed unaffected). "You treat my friends like they are worthless. You are the worthless one. Karrablast! My friend!"

N's Karrablast nodded and hopped off N's head, standing off against Trip's Litwick. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. For a guy who hated pokemon battles, he sure was quick to jump into a fight.

"You want to battle me with a Karrablast?" Trip shrugged and turned around. "No thanks."

"What?"

"Please, a tiny thing like that can't take my Litwick. How is my pokemon supposed to gain any experience battling a wimp like that?"

"You...You..." N's brow furrowed and I could see him clenching his fists. Yikes, that last little comment must have left him even angrier at Trip than before. "Pokemon are not simply containers for battling experience! They are my friends! You who treat pokemon as your battling slaves! I will not forgive-"

"Whatever. Hey. You. Blue."

"Who, me? It's BLACK you dolt!"

"Oh, is it now? My mistake." Funny, it didn't _sound _like he cared about said mistake. "Is that a Deino you've got there?"

"Yeah? So what?"

"I've never battled a dragon pokemon before. You wanted to battle me too, didn't you? In that case, I'll battle your Deino."

"Wha-? No way! This Deino was just born! He hasn't been alive for five hours now! I'm not just gonna send him out into battle!"

"Hmph. A newborn huh? If that's the case, I'll even make it a little easier for you. I'll use my Litwick, which is at a supreme type disadvantage. I also haven't been training it for that long. There. Fair enough?"

"Grrrrr," I wanted this creep to pay for attacking those Venipede. But at the same time I didn't want to send a baby out into battle. That was just crazy. Almost as crazy as the fact that at that moment, Perry was desperately attempting to squirm out of my arms. Eventually, he just bit down on my forearm, making me cry out, "YOWCH" as he bounded onto the gravel.

_"No hurt mama! No hurt mama!" _Perry shouted as loud as his squeaky little voice would allow. I was confused. He was sure active for someone who hadn't even been in the world until a little while ago. I took out my pokedex and looked up Deino's entries a little more extensively.

_**"Deino's senses, while not including sight, are highly developed. By using its sense of smell, Deino can locate other people and pokemon as well as plants when in the wild. However, this species cannot sense non-living objects such as walls and other obstructions and as a result, often run into them."**_

Interesting. But it could be dangerous as well. Note to self, don't let Perry walk alone in a town.

_**"While most creatures are helpless when born, Deino are born with an enormous amount of energy stored up in their bodies. While most parents are protective of their children, Deino children will be very protective of their parents and will be extremely aggressive towards any possible threats. One wonders who truly protects who in a family of Deino, Zweilous, and Hydreigon."**_

"Whoa..." I stuttered, completely astonished. I was in luck. The one pokemon that could have hatched out of that thing ended up to be the pokemon who would most likely battle right away. Yippee for me! "You want to battle Perry?"

_"Battle for mama! Battle for mama!"_

"You're so cool!" I exclaimed like one of Cilan's squealing fangirls. I didn't care. I had an awesome new pokemon who was even more awesome than I anticipated.

"Can we get this started?" Trip replied, rolling his eyes all the while.

"Fine then! Let's see your moves Perry." I took out my pokedex one last time, scanning Perry for his moves.

_**"Deino's current attacks: Bite, Focus Energy and-"  
><strong>_  
>"You will battle me as well," N interrupted my pokedex, effectively shrouding that last move in a veil of mystery. Oh well, it couldn't have been that important. I put my pokedex away. Litwick was a ghost type. Bite, being a dark type move would be useful enough anyway. But enough about that. N was really determined today. If he didn't freak me out so much, I would have considered his willingness to battle Trip inspiring. However, since it was coming out of N's lips, it had a certain degree of creepiness to it.<p>

"And why should I do that exactly?" Trip asked with a brow raised.

"I do not like how you treat pokemon! You will battle. I will show you what powers pokemon gain when they transcend from the enslavement of the pokeball!"

"What are you on exactly?"

"Ugh! I don't care who battles, but someone better battle Trip right now!" I shouted to the heavens, hoping N gave up already. If Perry was willing, then I wanted to show Trip how stuck up he really was.

"Battle with me," N said, not willing to back off. I'll give him this. He's annoying. Trip eventually gave one last roll of the eyes and brought another pokeball out from his pocket.

"Fine. Why don't I just battle both of you in a Double Battle?"

"A...double battle?" N was confused. I smacked my forehead once again. I couldn't believe I had to explain so many things to this impossible person. I was flabbergasted that he could be so dense about pokemon battles. You'd think since he didn't like them that he would actually KNOW what they entailed. But apparently not.

"Look N, this is how it would work," I began as I swung my body around to face N. "You and your Karrablast would team up with me and Perry in a battle against two of Trip's pokemon. Whichever side loses with both pokemon first loses the battle. Simple enough?"

"Huh? But that-"

"If you don't like it, then you can just move on and let me battle!" I really hope he fell for that and just left. I was looking forward to the chance of tearing a Litwick apart. She looked rather aghast when I started glaring at the candle pokemon. She couldn't fool me. Trust me, those things will tear you apart if you let them.

"...Alright..."

"Great, the other side of town is that way so...what?"

"I will battle in that manner."

"You...You're not serious, right?"

"I cannot allow someone who-"

"Yeah yeah, pokemon get hurt in battles. I know the lyrics to that song by now N." I need to find some psycho-repellent. These people keep finding me. But I stood tall as Trip readied his pokeball. After all, N hadn't been _so_ bad today. He had been rather civil actually. I knew we weren't exactly going to become best buddies or anything, but he had changed so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Okay I wouldn't go that far exactly, but I was perfectly aware of the difference between the two N's I've met. One who's pro-Plasma. And one who was bearable. I just hoped both of them would co-operate me for the moment. If N was going to come after me next, I'd deal with it. But Trip came first.

"Servine, go!" Trip shouted, obviously fed up with waiting for N and I to stop talking. I widened my eyes as he released the evolved form of Snivy from the confines of its pokeball. The grass snake had a smug look in his eye, making me wonder what he had to be excited about. Trip was being oddly dumb today. Not only was that Litwick at a disadvantage to Perry, but Servine wasn't going to be very effective against a bug type like Karrablast. It made me scratch my head to say the least. "This won't take long."

"That's what you think!" I shot back, clenching my fists again. "Perry, use Bite on Litwick!"

I expected Perry to get confused about what I was asking him to do. But on the contrary, he lunged at Litwick, his jaw clamping and unclamping as he charged forward. Litwick looked surprised as well. I could tell from the way she was sweating. Or was that just wax? I'm not sure.

"Hmph. Servine! Vine Whip!" Trip had gotten quick on the uptake. Servine lashed his vines out at Perry, aiming for his legs.

"Gah! Perry! Watch out for-" my face froze in surprise as I began to say this. Perry was way ahead of me. With one sniff of his nose, he flipped himself around and chomped down on the oncoming vines. Servine cringed and I let out a silent chuckle. Wasn't what I was expecting, but it was good enough. The grass type attempted to yank his vines out of Perry's jaws, but the dragon type was relentless. His bite was definitely worse than his bark.

"What the-?" And that wasn't the end to Trip's shock. I caught a glimpse of N tapping his hat just before Karrablast fired himself like a bullet at Servine, ramming him with a Headbutt. The Servine toppled over, putting us at an advantage. "Tch! Litwick use Flame Burst on Karrablast!"

Litwick's flame began to surge atop her head. In an instant, her tiny flame became a blazing inferno, creating a ball of flame that soared towards Karrablast. It was tempting to let one of N's pokemon get attacked, but I would be nothing if not an honourable teammate.

"Perry! Grab Karrablast and get him out of the way!" Perry released Servine's vines and dashed towards Karrablast. Unfortunately, Karrablast was a bit more independent than I gave him credit for. He leaped over the Flame Burst with surprising agility, leaving the attack to target and scorch a poor trash can. But that wasn't the worst part. Perry kept going. My Deino kept on charging ahead, eventually smacking directly into the stone wall, headfirst. "Perry!"

"Servine! While it's busy ramming walls, use Leaf Tornado!" Trip had my number here. Perry was dazed from his collision, allowing Servine's Leaf Tornado to strike without fail. Perry collapsed, and just as quickly got back on his feet. I was amazed. My little guy had endurance. "What the-? I thought you said it was just born?"

"He was! But all the same! Perry use Focus Energy!" Perry stomped his feet in response to my shouting, his fur bristling outwards as his scales glowed softly. He was focusing alright. And I just hoped that contributed to his next assault. "'Kay! Now use Bite on that Litwick!"

"Litwick! Fight back with Flamethrower! Servine! Use Vine Whip on Karrablast!"

Just before all of our attacks played out, I caught yet another glimpse of N tapping his hat. I was going to wonder why he kept doing that, only to be interrupted by Karrablast's sudden action. His two arms suddenly began glowing a bright blue, his legs guiding him towards Servine. His tiny body bounded between the snake's vines, using them like trampolines to advance on his opponent. He struck the dumbfounded Servine with X-scissor, landing on the serpent's falling form. I saw him glance back at N, who tapped his hat once again. Right after, Karrablast jumped up and let gravity take care of the rest as he used Headbutt. As for Perry, he wasn't doing as well. He tried to screech to a halt when he felt the heat of the Flamethrower coming his way, but it was too late. The scent of singed fur filled the air as Perry rolled in the dirt, attempting to get the flames off. He succeeded, but Trip wasn't done yet.

"Litwick! Follow up with a Shadow Ball! Servine get rid of that Karrablast by using Vine Whip!"

Trip was playing smart. Servine's Vine Whip managed to smack Karrablast off him, sending the beetle pokemon flying into the alley wall. Simultaneously, Litwick sent a sphere of shadows Perry's way. My brain clicked as usual when I was in trouble. Perry had acted as sweet as a puppy to me thus far. Maybe it was time for him to learn a few tricks.

"Perry! Roll over!" I wasn't sure he understood, but the message got through to dodge. Perry tumbled over to his left, rolling out of the way of Trip's attack. He got back on his feet, looking just about ready to charge. "Okay Perry! Let's give it a Bite!"

"Don't even try! Flame Burst!"

"Back off Perry!" Perry stopped in his tracks again when I gave the order. And he was even able to avoid the Flame Burst...by leaping straight into a wall. My dragon companion stumbled around again. Obviously, he hadn't seen it coming. He shook himself out of it pretty quick though. Like I said. This lizard had endurance. "Darn it! Bite won't work!"

"Of course it won't. Long range is a Litwick's specialty."

Great. _Another _reason to dislike Litwicks. I gritted my teeth. This was just too frustrating. What could I do? All I had was Focus Energy and Bite. And it wasn't like Perry would suddenly gain a new move on the spot. Wait a minute...didn't N stop my pokedex from saying one of Perry's moves. Out of curiosity (and a bit of desperation) I took out my pokemon encyclopedia to double check.

My eyes widened when I saw the results of Perry's scan. No way. N YOU FOOL! I could have won that battle so long ago if I had just known that Perry had this move. N just had to ruin everything, didn't he? I was going tear his head off. I swear. Axel mentioned he got the egg from a breeder, but I didn't think you could give a Deino _this _move from breeding.

"Time to end this Litwick. Use-"

"Perry! Dark Pulse!"

"What the-?" Trip was astounded as a string of dark purple rings burst from Perry's maw. Litwick screeched as she received the full brunt of the dark type move. Perry kept it up, the full force of his assault blasting Litwick straight into a trash can, knocking the silver bins over in succession. Litwick rolled to the ground, bruised all over. "How...? That pokemon was just born...so how...?"

"-is he that powerful? I'll tell you. Perry has more than just Dark Pulse up his sleeve!"

"Tch! You used Focus Energy. I forgot. I was careless."

"Yep! Which means it's my turn! Perry! Dark Pulse on Servine!"

"Servine! Leaf Tornado!" Uh oh. I got cocky again. Servine was swifter this time, blasting Leaf Tornado right in Perry's face before he could get himself prepared for another Dark Pulse. Perry was struck down and after a bit of struggling, didn't get up again. This time, the damage was too much.

"Perry!" I shouted as I ran to him, scooping him up in my arms and bringing him close. I hoped that that fight wasn't too much for him. But a moment later, I heard the gentle puffs of his breath, his nose sniffing me once more. "Perry!"

"_Perry do good mama?" _Perry asked me as he nuzzled my chest once more. I laughed.

"You did great! I'm so proud of you!" I was being honest there. I don't think there was any other baby pokemon in the world that could have done what Perry just did. Loss or not, he still went the extra mile. It may have been a short battle, but Perry had shown his stuff.

Of course, just because Perry was done didn't mean the battle was quite over yet. I heard a low rumbling, and after some observation, realized that it was coming from N. His clenched fists were shaking and I'm pretty sure I heard some primal growling from him.

"You hurt a child? How dare you! Karrablast!" Karrablast burst out of the pile of trash bins he had landed in, glancing at N just before activating his X-scissor once more.

"Servine! Leaf-"

Trip hadn't even finished ordering a counterattack before Karrablast struck. The blue beetle struck his prey across the face, sending him into a barrel roll. The insect didn't let up, continuing to strike the intensely damaged Servine with a slew of X-scissors. All in varied spots on Servine's body. No blade of grass on the serpent was left un-slashed. Fainting was only natural.

"SERVINE!" Whoa. That was the first time I had heard Trip scream. And boy, how satisfying it would have been if it wasn't N who had made him do so. Trip took a glance over his shoulder, at his struggling Litwick. "Litwick use-!"

Too late Trip. Karrablast was nothing if not quick on his feet. His horn began to glow white as he zipped towards Litwick at the speed of sound. That was Megahorn! A miniscule insect like that knew MEGAHORN of all things? As far as I knew, that was the most powerful bug type move there was. Karrablast crashed into Litwick, sending her careening directly into the wall, causing her to faint.

"Litwick...damn..." Trip showed the first angry emotion I saw him have. I guess N just brought that out in him. With a sneer and gruff cough, one of my vastly growing amount of rivals took out a pair of pokeballs and recalled the duo of fainted competitors. He then began to walk out of the alley.

"Trip!" I shouted, resulting in the emotionless young man turning his head back as he continued to walk. "I hope you're not thinking of attacking more Venipede!"

Trip rolled his eyes and continued on his way. I groaned. At least that was over. Now I just had N to deal with. Wait...was that bad or good?

"So Deino," N said, allowing the answer to that question to come more easily. He lowered himself until he was face to face with Perry. See why this guy makes my freakazoid meter go up to twelve on a ten point scale? "Did you see how much a battle hurts?"

"What are you-?"

"Deino. You shouldn't have to battle so that this human can feel superior to others. You became badly injured. Why should you battle?"

"G-Get away from him N!" I yelled as I attempted to get away. N grabbed my shoulder with a eerily strong hold, almost freezing me in a block of frightening ice.

"I'm talking to Deino. Hold still. Deino. Come with me." Perry tilted his head. "With your help, I can free a lot of pokemon from battling. You can help me change the world Deino."

"So that was why you hung out with us...so you get Perry to battle?" I asked. I never got a response. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid. N _wanted _Deino to battle so he would get hurt. That jerk!

Deino sniffed N's face. Then there was silence. I became worried and my hands began to shake again as I held Perry closer. The dragon turned his head to me. For a second, I thought he was going to tear himself from my grip again. I thought he was going to go with N. I thought he was going to leave me right after I got to know him.

And then he licked my entire face with that warm and moist tongue of his. Sticky. Gross. But I don't think I've ever felt a better sensation in my life.

"_Perry battle this pokemon now?" _I nearly burst out laughing. In fact, I think I did. Both out of relief and joy. N hadn't done a thing to him. He was either totally oblivious, or he really did love me. Either way, I was overjoyed. Needless to say, N wasn't. I couldn't blame him. Any human that smelled like a pokemon shouldn't feel good in my humble opinion.

"Hmmm," he hummed, deep in thought. And then he used the hand that wasn't gripping me to grasp Perry by a leg. "You're still too young to understand, it seems. Very well, I will take you this way if I have to. For I will not allow a newly born pokemon to be subjected to-"

"SHUT UP N!" Like the voice of an angel, Ellen broke through N's speech. We both turned our heads to the shouting girl who had her 'You're-Dead-Look' on again. Only this time, she was glaring at N. She was now shaking one fist at N and reaching into her bag full of pokeballs with the other. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I SHARED MY STORY OF MEETING ZORUA WITH A...A...PLASMA SYMPATHIZER! BLACK! CATCH!"

"Huh...?" I spluttered like an idiot, taken aback by Ellen's new found hatred of N. I almost didn't catch the green and black Dusk Ball she was hurling at me. I stared at it for a few seconds in my hand before I realized what she wanted to do with it. I nodded and tapped Perry on the head with it. There was absolutely no struggle as the sphere's button blinked in my hand. The 'ding' of capture followed not long after. In the confusion I managed to give N a swift kick to the thigh, causing him to grunt in pain as he keeled over from the charlie horse I had no doubt given him. I was aiming for where the sun-don't-shine but that worked too. I bolted to Ellen's side, wiping my brow of sweat as I placed Perry's new pokeball on my belt. "Thanks Ellen."

"No problem," she replied, winking at me before sneering at N. I was stronger than I thought. He was literally groaning in pain as he stood up, taking deep breaths. But it seems Ellen didn't think he had suffered enough punishment yet. N's Karrablast rushed up to defend the green-haired freak only to become startled and use N's leg as a meat-shield after a single glance at Ellen's face. I couldn't blame the guy. As soon as N seemed to recover and look her in the eye, she slapped the young man across the face.

"Ooooooo," I said, stretching the syllable as much as I could. I _felt _that one. N looked back at her as if...well...she had just slapped him across the face.

"AS FOR YOU SIR! IF I _EVER _SEE YOU AGAIN, I'LL DO MUCH WORSE THAN THAT! DO WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER?"

N didn't answer. Instead, after Karrablast zipped under his hat, N looked back at Ellen with widened eyes, turned around and strode out of the alley, calm as could be. I couldn't believe it. Ellen had just scared N. Something I never, in a million years, thought I would see. But there she was, clapping her hands together as if she was getting dust off of them. She instantly had my respect.

"Wow...Ellen..."

"Yeah?"

"You're amazing."

"Hee hee. Thanks." Mood swing would be an understatement. This girl was unpredictable. But I'm glad it was in a good way. I sighed in relief. That nightmare was over. We could rest easy now. "I just did what came naturally."

"That's what's so amazing." I replied, clutching Perry's pokeball in my hand and staring at it. I grinned. I had a brand new pokemon. Officially this time. I was going to enjoy training this one. And it was all thanks to Ellen that I could. If she hadn't been so quick in tossing me that Dusk Ball...I don't even want to think about what would've happened. "Well, I guess we should get back to helping out with the Venipede...right?"

"A hero's work is never done. Let's go then!"

"I don't think so!" I almost screeched in frustration. That voice almost made me rip out my hair. Ellen and I spun around to the opposite side of the alleyway. I silently wondered why the universe is so cruel to me. It was one annoying person after another. Why me? Why me? WHY ME? "I'm here for what's mine!"

I stared at the person in question. I didn't want to fight this figure. I really didn't. First N, then Trip, now her. That day, was not my day.

"Hey. How you doin' Alicia?" I asked with a certain level of sarcasm.

**End of Chapter Nineteen!**

**WOW this one took a while. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was just going to rush this as fast as I could after I realized that a month had gone by since updating, but I assumed you all would rather have a chapter written **_**well **_**rather than written quickly. I've had so much school, work, and other stuff blocking my path. And on top of that, guess what? WRITER'S BLOCK! Freaking amazing, right? I'm sorry if there are grammer/spelling mistakes (which I'm sure you've come to expect at this point. I should really go back and fix them all sometime soon.) but I stayed up late last night to finish this and I'm TIRED!**

**Also, for anyone who was wondering, here was the final tallies for the votes of Black's egg. both from reviews and the poll itself.**

**Deino - 10**

**Cubchoo - 8**

**Bagon - 8**

**Spheal - 6**

**I now have a new poll on my profile as well for which classic pokemon Ellen will catch next. Vote now, because before you know it, it'll be gone. This time, I am NOT allowing votes through reviews.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. Again, I'm truly sorry. **

**PS - Longest chapter I've ever written.**

**PPS - Sorry if I got Deino's abilities incorrect. The Best Wishes episode featuring a Deino hasn't aired yet and I get most behavioural patterns of pokemon from the anime...so there you go.**

**In the next chapter, Team Plasma makes themselves known in Castelia City. Before Black can deal with them however, an old friend is found in need. And it's up to Black to help her get her inner strength back. **

**Next Chapter: Last Minute Training (Yes, I know it's not a good title, bear with me. Not everything can be as glorious as the pun I was able to make for this one!)**


	20. Last Minute Training

**Review Responses: Capito Celcior - No worries. The fear of Litwicks will be explained. Not necessarily soon, but it will.**

**harison86 - I haven't forgotten it. It's all been planned out, don't worry. **

**DerpDog - Ohohoho. You sir, are a laugh riot. Here are a couple reasons why. **

**1) I HAVE written about the other characters. They appear occasionally, not every two seconds. Mostly because this story is NOT ABOUT THEM. **

**2) The story is about BLACK! If that's not what you're interested in, then I don't know why you started reading THIS fic in the first place. Go find one about White if that's what you want. There are plenty of them.**

**Okay, so this one took a while. BUT I've got an excuse this time! Right after I finished the last chapter, guess what school gives me? Ten Page research essay. You'd think that that wouldn't be so bad since I write all the time, right? WRONG! I hate writing anything that's not my own FanFiction or any of my personal stories. I detest writing non-fiction. Gives me a headache. **

**Also, I've been seeing a lot of reviews stating that they skip songs. I don't mind at all. Though I suppose you deserve an explanation as to why I included the songs which don't seem fitting due to the serious mood of this fic. Well, the thing is, I never intended this to be a serious fic. Hell, I didn't expect to have OC submissions or get even more than one review per chapter. Originally, this was going to be a for-fun type of fic that I would update whenever I felt like it. Now, it's become my primary fic. But the songs were originally meant to be the centerpiece of the whole thing. This wasn't even supposed to be a pseudo-novelization of Black and White as it is now. But I kept the songs from my original idea. Why? Because I just wanted it to retain an element of the bouncy and fun nature that was originally intended. If that's not your thing, then I'm sorry. But I'm not gonna be changing it. And hey, I've also gotten a lot of messages stating that some have a Yotube tab open as they read and listen to the song. Which I find AWESOME! **

**Anyway, sorry for rambling. Here you are. **

**Chapter 20: Last Minute Training**

Why is there always one problem after the other? I wondered for weeks why I just couldn't have a _normal _journey. Or maybe this was a normal journey, I wouldn't know, I've never been on any other. But it just seems unfair. It wasn't like Zack or Trip or anyone I've met thus far has had a Team Plasma member constantly hound them until they can be hounded no more. Just my rotten luck, I guess.

"What do you want?" I groaned as Alicia crossed her arms, looking just as ticked as usual.

"I'm here for what's mine," she replied. "That being my extenso, and the Victini."

"You're not getting Tony! So don't bother trying!" I placed a firm hand over the chilled metal of Tony's luxury ball and gulped. I stood my ground, though I'll be the first to admit that I was getting a nervous twitch in my legs. It had developed over the course of my journey. Alicia smirked and brought her hand to her hood, flipping it back and revealing her face.

"Again and again, you get lucky," she replied smugly, "and now you think you can threaten me? Nice try loser. Just hand them over."

"Alicia-" Ellen spoke out in the most sincere tone I'd heard from her as of yet. Just as she did though, Alicia put up a hand, signalling her sister to stop. And to my surprise, she did.

"Don't bother."

"But-" Ellen tried, but Alicia shook her head. And that was all it took for Ellen to turn her gaze to her shoes. I gaped. Of all the things that ticked Ellen off, this wasn't one of them? I groaned in frustration and snatched Witt's heal ball, holding it out towards Alicia.

"When are you just gonna leave me alone?"

"When do _you _think I will? This isn't exactly rocket science. Just hand over what's mine and I'll be on my way."

"What do _you _think my answer's gonna be? It isn't exactly heart surgery!"

"Smart-ass little-"

"SHUT UP!" Both Alicia and I turned our voices off as we heard the shrill screech behind me. I whirled around and widened my eyes once more. Ellen had her 'You're-Dead-Look' on again, only amplified to the power of ten. Ellen walked forward, and with a rough hand, shoved me directly into the alley wall. First of all, ow. Second of all, was it just me, or was Alicia backing away a bit? Alicia was trembling, though not quite with fear. I swallowed hard and got on Alicia's wagon by shuffling away from my traveling companion. Ellen really scares me sometimes. She snatched up a pokeball from her bag and tossed it. The sphere opened wide, releasing her Venipede. "Alright Sis! You and me!"

"You're not serious! You've never beaten me at anything!" Alicia retorted most sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. Classic Alicia.

"I'm dead serious! Whatever Team Plasma did to you, I'm gonna get you back!"

"They haven't done _anything _to me! Get out of the way!"

"YOU WANT BLACK? THEN YOU GOTTA BATTLE ME FIRST!"

"What are you doing?" I shouted at her, resulting in no movement from her. I stamped my foot in impatience. Nothing. I'll give her this, she was focused. "Ellen, she's too good for you! Trust me, I know!"

"Ellen..." Alicia grunted through clenched teeth before curling her mouth into a knowing grin. "You asked for this. Larvesta! Go!" Digging into her robes and taking out a pokeball, Alicia unleashed her bug type into the shadowed alley. The Larvesta's horns began to burn at the tips, their light creating eerie shapes across the walls. "Victini-kid! Don't even think about running away! It's not like that Venipede's gonna hinder me much!"

"OH YOU DID _NOT _JUST SAY THAT! Venipede! Start us off with Poison Tail!" Venipede (after shedding a few tears) crawled forward at surprising speed, his tail lighting up like a firecracker with purple light. The insect jumped, flipping around and aiming his tail right at Larvesta.

"Larvesta, use String Shot!" Larvesta obeyed, spitting out the long silky thread like a whip. The silk slapped onto Venipede's feelers, and with the swing of the head, Larvesta tossed the poison type in the air. I could hear Venipede's startled shrieks from down in the alley. And it only got worse since he was now falling like an asteroid towards the earth, on a collision course with a dumpster. "There, now use Flame Charge on that guy!"

"SAY WHAT NOW?" I yelled in surprise as Alicia pointed her finger straight at me. Larvesta's legs began to pump as he picked up speed, flames cascading around him.

"Venipede! Use your Solarbeam straight down!" Venipede shut his eyes and lit his feelers in the bright yellow glow of a Solarbeam. Due to the orange sunlight creeping its way into the alleyway, the charging of power didn't take that long. His beam fired and he was shot back into the sky, rolling into a ball along the way.

"What in the-?" Alicia exclaimed, her teeth clenching.

"Okay Venipede! Use Rollout!" Venipede spun faster at this command, becoming a brown and green blur in midair. Just as Larvesta was about to strike me, Venipede came down on him like a hammer, blasting the fire larvae straight across the enclosed space, directly into Alicia's arms.

"Whoa..." I stuttered as Venipede came out of his tumble, looking relieved that he had succeeded. Even I didn't think that that would've worked. And most of my battle style is based on risky moves like that. The Rollout, being a rock type move, damaged Larvesta greatly. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to knock him out. He tore himself from Alicia's grip, eyes narrowing in a glare.

"Grr! Stop wasting my time! Larvesta use-!"

"There you are!" a loud voice shouted from behind me. Ellen and I spun ourselves around to find yet another person had entered the alleyway. The youth who had sauntered in was wearing what looked like a worn-out policeman's hat on his brown-topped head. To match this little accessory, he had a police badge pinned to his black jacket. His pale green eyes were staring across the enclosed space at Alicia, with a certain amount of hatred. "Stop right there!"

"Crap! Larvesta, return!" Alicia was quick to grab Larvesta's pokeball and recall him, dashing out of her side of the alley soon after. The teen dashed after her, narrowly avoiding striking me as well as Ellen before bolting out of the alley and giving chase to the Plasma grunt. Ellen, after about two seconds of standing there in wonder, suddenly roared like a lion, scaring me and her Venipede.

"GET BACK HERE ALICIA!" she screamed as she followed suit. She wrapped her hands around Venipede and charged ahead, turning the corner and leaving me all alone. I stood still for the moment. What had just happened? That was rather spontaneous. It had all happened so quick that I wasn't sure exactly what I should have done.

"Damn it!" oh great, yet another voice. Only this time, I recognized it. I glanced back over my shoulder and let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't someone dangerous. For once. "Dustin! Dang that kid needs to stop leaving me hanging."

"M-Mister Igaul sir!" I spluttered as Axel walked past the alley. He screeched to a stop and looked in my direction, getting a grin as he did so. I waved with a quivering lip. It was still felt awesome to constantly be meeting my idol.

"Hey Blackster! Nice to see ya'! Sorry, no time to talk. Have you seen a kid wearing a police hat run through here?"

"Uh...yeah...he went that-" I didn't even finish pointing in the direction of the opposite side of the alley before Axel rushed forwards. I turned around and saw him glancing in both directions from the other opening of the narrow passage. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed, turning back to me.

"Lost him. Well, thanks anyway Black. I can take it from here," Axel said as he grabbed a pokeball and tossed it into the air. The orb snapped open, releasing an owl-like pokemon with varying shades of brown plumage. He had feathers above his eyes which greatly resembled a pair of horns.

"Your Noctowl? NO WAY!" I cried in glee as I got out my pokedex and scanned it.

_**"Noctowl, the Owl Pokémon. The evolved form of Hoothoot. This highly intelligent Pokémon often twists its head 180 degrees when it is thinking. Noctowl is a nocturnal Pokémon."**_

My eyes glittered as the avian hovered just above Axel, flapping his wings with a beautiful silence. I had never seen a Noctowl up close before and it had always been one of my favourites. Axel seemed indifferent to my interest in his pokemon which was why he had no problem in starting the following conversation.

"Callin! Y'mind finding Dustin for me?" Axel asked, causing the bird to nod an affirmative.

_"Of course Axel old chap. I'm right on it. Tally-ho gents!" _He was British too? This was the most awesome day of my life. Or at least I thought so at the time. My day was slightly ruined as the Noctowl soared away, but it wasn't quite as terrible as the events of the rest of the evening held. With Callin the Noctowl out of sight, Axel looked back at me and crossed his arms, like he was angry or something. I winced.

"S-Something wrong?"

"Hm?" Axel blinked rapidly in confusion, looked down at his arms and suddenly realized he was scaring me a bit. Of course, being Axel, all he did was- "BWAHAHAHAHA! Sorry. I tend to frighten people. I see you've made it to Castelia, Black. How's it been goin'?"

"Uhhh...fine. But what was that all about?"

"What was what all about?"

"That...That guy. Dustin? Why are you-?"

"Oh, that it? Nothing. I just told him I was looking for Team Plasma and he kind of leaped before he looked."

"You were looking for Team Plasma?"

"Yeah. This Team Plasma girl, she came right out in broad daylight and stole a pokemon from a new friend of mine. Right now, I got someone guarding her so they don't try it again. Dustin offered to help me hunt that Plasma punk down. He's a police trainee y'see. I'll give him this, he's got spunk."

"Wait, did this Plasma girl have some brown hair sticking out of her hood?"

"Yep. Why? Y'know her?"

"Yes. Her name's Alicia. She's the girl who's been chasing after Tony."

"Oh really? This oughta be fun then!" Axel clasped his hands together and started wringing them in obvious joy. I was taken aback. He was way too excited about this. "I got a few choice words for her. Callin'll find Dustin. How close was he to catching her?"

"He was chasing her, but-"

"Cool. Knowing Dustin, he won't lose the trail too easily. Of course, with this Venipede invasion going on, he might get a little distracted. Say Black, could I get you to do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure, anything!"

"While Callin and I are looking for Plasma, could you maybe head town to Prime Pier? My friend whose pokemon was stolen is down there. You don't mind...guarding her do you?"

"Guarding her?"

"She's a bit...fragile after the theft and all. She needs someone by her side. Someone dependable. And that's you my friend."

"Yeah, but listen. Ellen went after Alicia too and-"

"Ellen? You mean that girl from the contest? Why's she goin' after her?"

"Uh...they're sisters!"

"Huh. Well, that makes things difficult. But don't you worry Blackster. You take care of my friend and I'll be sure to keep Ellen in good hands. Take a left out of this alley and Prime Pier is just a block away. Just follow the signs." With that, Axel whirled around and bounded over the trash cans which had fallen over in the battle with Trip. He stopped himself just as he reached the end, giving me a wave and a final bit of information. "Oh, by the way, my pal is wearing a green dress. Her name's Bianca!"

"BIANCA?" I exclaimed. Without waiting for an answer, I bolted out of the alley at the speed of a gale force wind. I swung my head frantically to find a sign indicating where Prime Pier was. After getting my bearings, I kept up the pace I had been making by sprinting towards my goal, making sure not to accidentally kick any Venipede along the way.

Bianca. The only person from my hometown who bothered to remember my name. The girl who tried to stand up to YUKI one time and came out of it without a scratch. Granted, her Tepig was defeated in one hit, but that's not the point. I wasn't even thinking about Alicia anymore. And really, why would I want to? I had something else to worry about. Prime Pier was right up ahead. My eyes darted to the entrance and found it barricaded by a pair of roadblocks. I mentally cursed the luck while getting a running start. And soon after dodging a quartet of Venipede, I leaped. And because the universe hates me, my foot was caught on the roadblock and I ended up face-planting on the other side. And guess what, the pier is made of metal so...you get the picture.

"Ow...ow...ow..." I repeated in succession, grasping the new black eye that I had surely just given myself. Why is it always me? Scratch that, I know why it's always me. It's all because I rush in head first. Well, from then on I vowed to always look out for incoming-

"BLACK!" A high-pitched voice screeched in my ear just before I was knocked off my feet by what felt like a fully matured ape. My landing knocked the wind out of me, making me groan in pain for a few seconds before opening my eyes.

"Hey Bian...ca...?" I stared at her in confusion. She was crying. Her tears dripped onto my face like paint across a canvas. And I had never seen her so sad. You know people cry in the movies? Where a single tear drops down their cheek and the person in question looks perfectly calm afterwards? I hate those scenes. That's not how normal people cry. And that certainly wasn't how Bianca cried. Her moaning sobs impacted my eardrums like a megaphone. She buried her face into my shoulder, hugging me and crying all the way. My face turned a bright crimson as I realized that I had no idea what to do. I attempted to get up, but Bianca refused to leave. She just kept up the bawling, holding onto me with that iron grip of hers. So what else could I do but hug back? What? I'm not good in these kinds of situations.

"Bianca! Get ahold of yourself!" I heard a voice as Bianca was yanked off me by some unknown power. I breathed a sigh of relief and look up. I both groaned in despair and gulped in anticipation when I saw who it was. "He's not a pillow!"

"It's okay," I said to White as she held Bianca back by the folds of her shirt. So with no way to get to me, Bianca did a 180 and cried into White's shoulder. White was displeased to say the least.

"Bianca! Stop already!" White shouted. "This is a new vest!"

"(Sniff)...You're right. I'm sorry White! S'just..." Bianca paused as she pulled away from White, wiping a tear out of her eye. "...my Munna."

"I know. I'll get it back. I promise. Just leave it to me. But you've gotta tell me, what did that thief look like?"

"Um...I think it was...a girl."

"That narrows it down." White sighed. She turned to me and gave me a glare. I cringed. She was intense when she needed to be. "And just who are you?"

"You...You..." My face was twitching. I had no control over it. "You...forgot me again...?"

"Forgot? I don't think we've ever met."

"I'm...I'm..." I wasn't sure how angry I should have been. I considered choosing somewhere between furious and a level of which I could not identify. Ironically enough, I just sighed. And then my anger disappeared. Yes, I was _that _used to it by now. "Whatever...I'm a friend of Bianca's. And your next door neighbor, but let's not get into that right now. Bianca. I know you're thief. And you do too. She's the same one we battled back at the Nacrene Museum, remember?"

"Hm? OH YEAH! That's right! Now I remember!" Bianca said taking both of my hands and shaking them roughly. "Black, you're so smart!"

"Erm...thanks." You never get used to Bianca. She can go from a total wreck to the life of the party in zero to two seconds.

"Got it," White declared with a snap of her fingers. "Now what does this girl look like?"

"She's a member of Team Plasma," I replied, resulting in a raise of the eyebrow from White. "And right now she's being chased by her twin sister, a police officer, and the Johto Region Champion. So I think we got nothing to worry about."

"Really?" White's voice suddenly got sarcastic. My brow furrowed a bit. She was being a lot more stubborn than I remember her being. I was fairly sure she wasn't even listening to me. She was more focused on adjusting her hat. "Team Plasma huh? Those dipsticks just don't give it up. Fine then." White reached behind her back and grabbed a pokeball, throwing it right afterwards. "Ducklett! Let's go!" The pokeball opened wide, releasing a blue-feathered duck pokemon. It had two tufts of plumage on its head, forming into a V shape. It had a dark underside with a similarly coloured tail. "Come on Ducklett, we're goin' after Team Plasma!"

"Hey wait a minute-!" I tried to stop her, but it was too late. She leapt over the roadblocks (with a lot more skill than I had), her Ducklett right on her tail. I ground my teeth in frustration. She had completely blown me off! You can bet that I was planning on taking her out in a battle later.

"Um...Black?" I stopped stomping my feet in anger for a moment to look back at Bianca. I could do nothing but stare. Her hands were shaking as well as her closed eyelids. It looked to me like she was about to start crying again. "D-Did you..."

"Yeah?"

"Did you come here for me?" she looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, making my face go beet red again. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. I hate when girls do that.

"Uh...yeah...of course. You're my friend, right?" I don't think anyone has ever hugged me so fast or so roughly in my life. "Bianca! Getting hard to breathe!"

"Sorry!" she said as she pulled back, staring disdainfully at her feet. After catching my breath, I looked up to find the blond groping around inside her bag. Her frown remained strung between her cheeks. Her hands emerged, clasping a trio of pokeballs. "Hey Black?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You can talk to pokemon, right?" Yikes, I forgot she knew about that. And that she was so nonchalant about it.

"Uh..."

"I was wondering. Could you...tell me how they feel about me?"

"What...?" I was confused. Her pokemon was just stolen and yet she was asking me to talk to the ones she still had so I could tell her where they stood with her. And why was she asking me to do this, of all people? Granted, I was the only one she knew who could speak to pokemon. But I was no Pokemon Connoisseur. It stumped me that she expected me to be the judge of her relationships. "Bianca, I know you're...you. But can I ask you why you want me to do this?"

"Come on, please? I need to know if they still...if they still..." And then she burst out crying again. After five minutes of comforting her (AGAIN) and a bone-crushingly long hug, she calmed down and was able to get more than sentence fragments out of her mouth. I need normal friends. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"Bianca, I know this might come as a shock, but you're acting weird."

"I know."

"So why do you want me to talk to your pokemon?"

"Well...I don't think they like me anymore."

"Bianca! That's ridiculous!" I shouted sincerely and a tad angrily. "Why would you even think that?"

She didn't answer at first. And she she shouldn't have. I mean, I hadn't seen Bianca interact much with her pokemon, but come on. This was Bianca we were talking about. She probably awarded them candy bars in the morning just for waking up. It amazed me how broken up she was about this. I thought she'd be angry about her Munna being stolen, but no. That's just not Bianca. You could kick her in the shins and somehow she'd make it her fault.

And then she asked me something that I never thought I should do.

"Black!" Bianca screeched, grabbing my shoulders and looking into my eyes with a desperate stare. I flinched. "Can you train me?"

"Wha-?"

"Please? I need to know how to protect my pokemon better!"

"You need to what?"

"Please!" she declared as she looked right into my eyes. I gulped. There was real determination in her stare. I don't think I've ever seen her so serious. "Munna needed my help. But I couldn't give it to her. Please. You're the toughest trainer I know besides White. I'm not that great at battling yet. I play with my pokemon all the time, but we almost always lose in battles. And I just feel...like it's my fault that Munna was stolen. I listened to all of Professor Juniper's speeches. It's the trainer's job to keep the pokemon-"

"BIANCA! STOP IT!" I shouted back, causing my friend to pull away in surprise. "You're a great trainer! Obviously your pokemon really like you! Look, I'm not exactly the number one guy for training. I can't even beat Cheren, after all. And to be honest, I'd rather go hunt down that thief for taking Munna away from you. But I'll battle you, if that's what you want. On one condition."

"What is it?"

"Please stop hugging me."

"OKAY! Thank you Black!" Bianca ran to the opposite side of the port, kicking up some gravel on her way over. She turned to me, grinning in gratitude. She bowed once in thanks and then tossed a pokeball. It opened wide, releasing a furry gray-coloured chinchilla-esque pokemon. Its tail was long and whip-like, ending in a point of white fur along with its round ears. "Okay Minccino! Black's gonna help you get stronger! So do your best okay?"

_"Okey-dokey!" _Minccino shouted, just as happy-go-lucky as his trainer. I looked at this miniature furball and gave myself a mental slap in the face. Why did I agree to this? I'm not exactly an ace trainer as it was. So I had no idea how battling Bianca was supposed to help her. Of course, it would give her pokemon more experience, but I didn't know whether that would help her in battling Alicia. That Plasma grunt is one nut I don't want to crack.

"Alright!" I shouted as I clasped Witt's heal ball into my fingertips. Witt had been out of the action lately. "Go!"

_"Ha ha!" _Witt laughed as he was released. _"So you're next on the chopping block?"_

_"Am not!" _Minccino retorted.

"Minccino! Use Attract!" Bianca shouted, showing that she was way too eager to get the fighting started. Minccino looked at her quizzically, as did I before I remembered that she culdn't recognize pokemon genders just by looking at them.

_"You sure?" _Minccino asked her. He shrugged his shoulders and winked, causing a multitude of pink hearts to appear next to his eye. The hearts soared towards Witt, making the otter blink in confusion. The hearts encircled Witt for a few seconds until they moved in, smacking into Witt and breaking apart, causing no discernible effect. Witt scratched his head with his scalchop.

"_Um….was that supposed to do something, perchance?" _Witt replied with a certain amount of smugness, resulting in a growl of anger from Minccino.

"Bianca…my Oshawott is a boy too. Attract won't work on same-gender pokemon."

"Oh….whoops. See? That's what I need you for. Minccino! Hyper Voice!"

"Quick Witt! Use Water Pulse!" Minccino curled his ears up to prepare for Hyper Voice as the ball of water formed between Witt's arms. Minccino screamed as Witt fired. The sound wave and the water sphere struck at the exact same time…and melded right through each other. Huh. I always heard that sound had a hard time getting through water. Fortunately, Witt had fired a tad faster, allowing Water Pulse to strike first. Minccino fell backwards, landing near Bianca's feet.

"Minccino! Get up and use Swift!"

"Tackle 'im Witt!" That was poor judgement on my part. Witt charged, but this time Minccino was a tad faster. The chinchilla spun around once, his tail lighting up in a yellow glow. Glittering stars were released from his tail, flying directly at the charging otter. Witt collided with them and fell over, growing a nasty bruise between his eyes. But he was no worse for wear. He stood up and shook it off as though a mosquito just bit him. "Okay Witt! Use Water Gun!"

"Fight back with Swift!" Now it was Bianca's turn to make an improper judgement call. The stars of swift were no match for the sheer power of Witt's Water Gun. Witt powered through, giving Minccino a good smacking with his Water Gun. He landed in Bianca's arms…fainted.

"We won?" I spluttered. Witt crossed his arms and snickered evilly. That was way too easy. I don't think I've ever had a battle that ended so well in my favor. Two moves were all I needed.

"Minccino!" Bianca exclaimed, hugging her pokemon all the while. "I'm sorry! Here! Return!" Bianca pulled out Minccino's pokeball and recalled the little guy as he breathed quietly in her arms. In succession, she took out another pokeball and threw it into the fray. "Pansage! It's your turn!"

The pokeball opened wide, the white energy that came out forming into the green monkey. Witt rolled his eyes and grinned at me.

"_Another one of these guys, huh? This won't take long!"_

"_Grrrrr!" _Pansage growled ferociously, officially beginning the battle. Witt gulped along with me. This Pansage was a bit less charismatic than the Pansage I had met in Striaton. But all the same, I got myself ready. Witt had tied with the last Pansage we fought. And now we were gonna see how far we'd come since the last time.

"Witt! Start us off with a Razor Shell!"

"Pansage! Use Leech Seed!"

"Give that seed a blast with your Water Gun! Then continue with Razor Shell!" Pansage spat a glowing green seed from his mouth, sending it flying towards Witt. Witt and I were a step ahead though. My Oshawott diverted that seed's course, sending it flying over Pansage's head. He then struck Pansage across the chest with his Razor Shell, making the monkey lose his balance. "Now Water Pulse!"

"Pansage! Use-! U-Use-!" Bianca was stuttering. That was the first time I had seen her stutter or even worry. But it was too late for Pansage. Witt's Water Pulse struck straight and true, causing further damage to the grass type. "Pansage! V-Vine Whip!"

"Witt! Dodge and use-" I cut myself off. Pansage's tail was growing on its own merits in a Vine Whip attack. However, it never went after Witt. Instead, Pansage proceeded to attack himself. Oh, things were going my way that day. "Way to go Witt! Your Water Pulse confused him!"

How many times did I mentally smack myself that evening? That was the most insensitive thing I could've said. Bianca wanted me to help her, not beat her. I was the worst friend ever. But on the contrary, this is Bianca we're talking about. She was grinning away at my success. She's just way too friendly for her own good.

"Pansage! Use Fury Swipes!" Pansage used Fury Swipes all right. On himself. I grumbled. Losing by a landslide wasn't helping her become a better trainer. But I didn't want to insult her by holding back. Why is being a trainer so hard? "No Pansage! Hit him!"

"Witt! Tackle!" Witt complied, slamming directly into Bianca's grass pokemon like a football player. Pansage flopped to the ground, fainting on the way. "Again…?"

"Pansage!" Bianca yelled compassionately, scooping her primate up in her arms. "You-did-so-well-I`m-so-soooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrry!"

"GAH! BIANCA!" I shouted, frustrated. Witt jumped, as did Bianca. Even Pansage gave a twitch before going limp again. "What's with you? You battled way harder back at the museum!"

"I-I don't know! I'm sorry!"

"Stop apologizing! You want to get Munna back, don't you?"

"Y-Yes! Of-Of course!"

"Then pretend I'm Alicia! Pretend I just took one of your best friends from you! Pretend I'm that freak of nature and fight with everything you've got! You're not weak! I'VE SEEN YOU BATTLE! YOU STOOD UP TO THAT YUKI GUY! C'MON ALREADY!"

"But…my pokemon get hurt in battles."

"Pain is how we grow Bianca. It's a fact of life!"

"But…that girl said-"

"Oh, is that it? Did she say her Plasma-spiel to you? Well, listen up Bianca! TEAM PLASMA IS FULL OF CRAP!"

"But…if I'm good enough in battles, then my pokemon won't get hurt, right?"

"Bianca. A battle is a battle! Look, I can't tell you what to do. After we find Munna, you can quit battling if you want. But until then, you need to get tough! FOR MUNNA!"

"But…But…"

"AND NO MORE 'BUT'S!"

"But my pokemon don't like me if they get hurt!"

"Really?" I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster. "Hey Pansage, do you hate Bianca?"

It took Pansage a while to answer. He was still dazed from his battle. When his ears twitched, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I hadn't hurt him too badly. He stared up at his trainer with tired eyes. And then he grinned.

"_I love Bianca," _he said with fatigue, his tail growing just enough to tap Bianca on the knee comfortingly. Bianca beamed. _"She always gives me these little…what'cha call them Bianca? Rice balls? Yeah, love those things. And she's got that big poofy hat she lets me sleep under and-"_

"What he say? What he say?" Bianca asked, on the verge of tears. I gave her a tiny grin.

"You got nothing to worry about. Pansage loves you. Especially your hat."

"Really? That's so cooooooool! My pokemon has a sense of fashion!"

"Uh…that's not exactly-"

"Take it easy Pansage. You were amazing." Bianca was back to her old self. Of course she just needed reassurance. And here I was yelling at her. Like I said, I'm not so used to this consoling stuff. "Thanks Black. You always know the right thing to scream."

"Yeah, uh, about that…"

"But I'm not done yet! That Alicia is still too tough for me. So…could we finish this battle please?"

"Yeah. How many you got left?"

"Just one! Pignite go!" Bianca threw her final pokeball, releasing the pig in the traditional bright light. Pignite grinned and stomped his feet at Witt, resulting in a smirk from the Oshawott.

"_Ha! This'll be easy!" _Witt boasted as he got his scalchop ready. _"Hey Bro! After we're done here, can I have some ice cream?"_

"_Come on Bianca! I'll give 'im a –little-'o-this and a-little-'o-that and BOOM! WE WIN! HA HA!" _Pignite was just as confident. You could tell from the way he was pumping his fists in the air.

**(Music Cue: Rival Battle, Black and White)**

"Witt use-"

"Pignite! Heat Crash!"

"-Water Gun…wait WHAT?" I was too late. Pignite had already jumped. When that pig jumped, he jumped HIGH. Those stubby legs were strong. He was ten feet in the air (which made Witt gape immediately). Pignite's rump lit up in a healthy red flame. And before Witt or I could react, the pig flattened Witt. I gasped as Pignite got off, continuing to pump his fists in the air. Witt just lay there like a pancake, his expression of terror still painted on his face.

"What the HELL was that?" I asked as I brought my pokedex out and looked up Heat Crash quickly.

"_**Heat Crash: A move which grows stronger the heavier the user is than the opposing pokemon."**_

Oh dear.

"Hey Witt? Can you-" No dice. He was just staring off into the sky. Not a sign of battling in him. My mouth hung open for a few minutes. I gulped and returned Witt to his pokeball. This wasn't good. If Heat Crash, a fire type move, could do that much damage to a water type, then I didn't want to see what it could do to Iva, Joel, Tony or (heaven forbid) Perry. But all the same, I grabbed Joel's pokeball and gave it a toss.

"WHEEE! Pignite! Let's use Heat Crash once more!"

"Joel! Glue his feet down! Use Electro Web!" Joel came through, easily spitting a cobweb of electricity at Pignite's hooves, effectively stopping them from doing any jumping and giving Pignite a good jolt.

"Pignite!"

"Now! Combo time! Use Electro Ball! And spin up some Electro Web!" Joel attempted my improvised combination once more. The surging sphere of sparks built up between his incisors as the galvanic string flew out of his mouth. The ball split into three separate ones, locking the Electro Web into a set of-

"Electro Bolas! GO-!"

I would tell you how awesome it was when those spinning Electro Balls struck Pignite in the face. I would tell you how he toppled over with no chance of getting up. I would tell you how Joel and I celebrated our victory at that moment. But I couldn't tell you that. The bolas split apart, soaring off into different directions. Eventually, their energy was completely drained and they dropped into the ocean, missing Pignite by a mile. And even worse, Pignite had broken out of the Electro Web trap.

"Pignite! HEAT CRASH!"

"AH! NO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I recalled Joel, Pignite smashing into the port where Joel just was. Bianca rose an eyebrow at me, making me wonder why she was so baffled by my choice to get Joel back into his pokeball where it was safe. "I'm not letting him get crushed. You win that one, okay?"

"YEAH! We win again Pignite! Just one more to go!"

"Not just yet! Tony let's do it!" I shot the luxury ball with my hopes held high, Tony emerging and grinning at Pignite, who grinned back. "Tony! Use Confusion!"

"Pignite! Flamethrower!" Uh oh. That pig may have been burly, but he was quick. Tony had no time to focus with Confusion before a blast of flame came his way.

"Tony! Forget about Confusion and use Quick Attack instead!" Tony jumped up while using Quick Attack, flying over Flamethrower expertly and smacking into Pignite's face at high speeds. Pignite staggered, but he still looked determined.

"Pignite! He's up close! Use Arm Thrust!" Bianca was quicker on the uptake than I thought. Tony was a sitting duck for Pignite as he rushed towards the Victini giving him a multiple smacks to the face with Arm Thrust. Tony tumbled backward landing near my feet. "Now use Heat Crash!"

"Fire Rocket Tony! But aim for a leg and send him into a spin!" Tony soared upwards and struck the descending swine in the leg, making him careen to the earth in a roll. He landed on his head, rubbing it as he got up. Now use Confusion!"

"AHH! Pignite! Arm Thrust!" I really hate it when she's battling me seriously. It's so much tougher. Tony once again didn't get focused in time and the fighting type was able to sneak up on my buddy. After handing him another few blows, Pignite tossed the victory pokemon across the pier. I flinched as he hit the ground.

"_I'm-a-winnin' Bianca! I'm a-winnin'!" _Pignite shouted, dancing Tony's happy dance for himself.

"_Huh? I thought we were buddies!" _Tony said, making me wonder how in the world he got that idea. Tony's eyes narrowed.

"_I'll be your friend after I win and Bianca gives me my cream puffs! Then I'll take you for a piggy-back ride!"_

I really hope that that pun wasn't intended.

"_But I wanna win! LET'S BATTLE BRO! BATTLE! BATTLE BATTLE!"_

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Tony use Quick Attack!" Tony made his way forward, jumping ahead at full force, headfirst. Then something happened which changed the entire battle. Seriously, this was the most fortunate thing to happen since Iva started working with me. Tony's head began to glow blue.

"Huh?" Bianca exclaimed. "That's one strange Quick Attack!"

"That's not Quick Attack!" I squealed in joy as I brought out my pokedex.

"_**Zen Headbutt. A psychic type move which can cause the target to flinch."**_

"YEEEEEEES!" I screamed. "Tony just learned Zen Headbutt!" Tony smacked into Pignite, sending that swine for a tumble. The psychic move hit him where it hurt, apparently. Pignite stood up weakly, stumbling around as he did so. "Okay Tony! One more time! ZEN HEADBUTT!"

"Heat Crash Pignite!" Pignite jumped along with Tony. Pignite had gravity on his side as Tony shot upwards like a missile, but Tony had a type advantage. It was all up in the air of who would win. But it all became clear when the two of them impacted one another. For just one second, the two stood frozen in midair. But that photo was torn up and they fell to the earth, fainting along the way.

"A…tie…?" I stuttered in shock. I thought for sure I was going to lose. Zen Headbutt would've stood no chance if it hadn't already hit once. Bianca on the other hand, was over the moon about it. She rushed over to Pignite, giving him a plastic baggie with a rather large cream puff inside.

"You did great Pignite. Here. A present for such a GREAT battle! Now we're ready to get back Munna! LET'S GO BLACK!"

"WHAT?" I exclaimed as I fed Tony a Revive crystal, quickly moving onto Pignite soon afterward.

"COME ON!" she said as Pignite swallowed the Revive. She grabbed my arm and started dragging me down the street with Pignite and Tony in hot pursuit (Tony taking a piggy-back ride). And I thought Ellen had a strong grip.

"Bianca? What are you doing?"

"We're goin' to get back Munna! CHARGE! Say it with me Black. CHAAAAAAAAARGE!"

That's Bianca for you. A girl with no sadness in her. Unless it involved her friends. But when it came right down to it, she was a girl you could never stay mad at. Whether you were a pokemon or not. My childhood friend, my rival, and a girl with no prejudice whatsoever.

And Alicia made a VERY big mistake by ticking her off.

**End of Chapter 20!**

**Okay, I know this chapter isn't that good. But my Winter Vacation has just started, so the next chapter will not only be GREAT, but it'll be out much faster. I thought that section of the game, where Bianca is SOMEHOW trained by Iris, could be an EXCELLENT source of character development that they never actually covered. But I LOVE Bianca as a character and I hate to see any chance for her character to develop wasted. So I made this chapter for her. Yes, I'm a sap. Deal with it.**

**Until next time guys, seeya!**

**Pignite: HOLD IT!**

**Pansage: HOLD IT!**

**Minccino: HOLD IT!**

**What? How did you guys get in my writing booth?**

**Pignite: We wanna sing!**

**Oh...really? But what about?**

**Pansage: We feel that the message that you like Bianca hasn't been hammered into these poor viewers hard enough yet! So we're gonna sing about how much we love her.**

**Actually, I think they've suffered enough-**

**Minccino: Quiet you! Let's go guys!**

_**Pignite: **__**I should've known,  
>From how I felt,<br>When we were together!  
>And even more when we were apart!<br>You tiptoed in,  
>And you got under my skin.<br>You snuck your way right into my heart!**_

_**Pansage: I put up barriers,**_  
><em><strong>To shield my emotions.<strong>_

_**Minccino: A wall that you could never break apart!**_  
><em><strong>But like a ninja of love,<strong>_  
><em><strong>Rappelling down from above!<strong>_

_**You snuck your way right into my heart,**_  
><em><strong>Oh yeah!<strong>_

_**All: **_**_C'mon everybody, let me hear ya!_**  
><strong><em>Nah Na Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nah<em>**  
><strong><em>(Yeah!)<em>**  
><strong><em>You snuck your way right into my heart!<em>**  
><strong><em>Nah Na Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nah<em>**  
><strong><em>Yeah!<em>**  
><strong><em>Yeah!<em>**

**_Pignite:_****_ G_****_OODNIGHT TRI-STATE AREA!_**

**Uh...**

**Featured Song: You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart from the (AWESOME) cartoon: Phineas and Ferb**

**Youtube Link to Song: .com/watch?v=areiBv63ETU**

**Next Chapter: Plasma's Plan**

**PS - I love alliteration.**


	21. Plasma's Plan

**Review Responses: AngelicWings24 - I miss it too...believe me. I'd try to bring it back, but considering how far in we are, you may have to suffer through seriousness before we get to the fun stuff. **

**harison86 - I refer you to Lt. Surge, also known as, "The Lightning American". Last time I checked, America was a country. Plus: My fic, my rules.**

**Hx2 - Well, it WAS meant to be a novelization, just not one that was **_**entirely **_**serious. Like I said, I wanted it to be lighthearted, but then it turned into...this. DAMN MY DESCRIPTIVE ABILITY! I juggled with the idea of having Black start with a Victini (which made this plot) or a Joltik (which would have made my intention a lot clearer). It's weird that you're saying all this. I thought I was getting less and less readers due to the serious nature. As for the crying thing, I'm sorry, but I'll never believe it. Anytime I've cried or seen someone else cry, it's always in the way that makes you guilty to having to bear witness to such a painfully sad scene. That's just my experience. It may differ for you, but not me.**

**Professor Yuki - We interrupt this review to bring you this football report. Seriously though, don't worry about me not mentioning Yuki. I rather enjoy using Yuki in the story.**

**Still not removing the songs, by the way.**

**Oh, and, please stop making the "Perry the Deinopuss" joke. Getting old...**

**Okay, I know what you're gonna say. Why are there no battles? Why is this so plot-heavy? I gotta have a boring chapter every once in a while. Just grab yourself a Pepsi and we'll get through it...possibly.**

**Chapter 21: Plasma's Plan**

"Anything yet guys?" The police officer in training, Dustin, asked the three dog pokemon sniffing around at his feet. He was scratching his head, waiting for his mutts to sniff out Alicia for him. One of these dogs was orange-furred with streaks of black here and there as well as a tail and tufts of cream-coloured fur. The second pokemon was at least twice the size as the last one and was adorned with mostly black fur with an underbelly and snout of orange. This one also had white horns on his head along with white bands around his legs and his back. The third was covered with a gray coat, but his legs, upper body, inner ears, and face were adorned with black fur. Though I think this one was most intimidating due to the red eyes. "Nothing, huh?"

"Growlithe..." said the orange dog, shaking his head.

"GRRR," Dustin growled to no one in particular. "Come on out you Plasma scum! Face up to your crimes!"

"Dustin! There you are!" Dustin turned around, seeing a pair of people and a pair of bird pokemon coming his way. The first was Axel and White and the second was Axel's Noctowl and White's Ducklett. Axel was waving frantically at the junior officer, clearly out of breath. "Do you _ever _take a break?"

"I can't take a break! Not until I've taken that thief down! No one breaks the law on my watch!"

"Yeah yeah. Look, I'm not that fast a runner!" Axel said between sharp breaths. "But what do you think's gonna happen by running around aimlessly through the city, leaving me behind I might add?"

"I found some of her footprints! Take a look!" Dustin said, gesturing to where his dog pokemon were sniffing around. Axel and White glanced at the spot, each of them arching an eyebrow when they saw the small smudges on the ground that vaguely resembled a footprint. "Believe you me, these guys can track anything! Just give 'em a minute! They'll find Team Plasma!"

"So can I! They're right behind you!" Dustin blinked at him before turning around and pulling back a bit in surprise. His face went pink in embarrassment as he stared at the entrance to one of the towering skyscrapers more than a hundred yards away. The entrance was outlined with a pair of trees, behind which were two Plasma grunts, clearly trying in a vain effort to hide. "There! Can we stop with the running now?"

"They were...there the whole time...?" Dustin said with a look of disbelief. But he soon shook it off and gave a whistle, which brought his pokemon to attention. He then commenced running towards the building with the Plasma grunts.

"Dustin wait for just one-! GAH! White, let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Bianca! Do you even know where you're going?" I asked as Bianca continued to drag me through crowds of Venipede. Tony sat on my head and Pignite was lagging behind us, desperately trying to keep up with his trainer. She wasn't exactly making it easy for him. I felt like my arm was being torn off at the speed Bianca was going. "We should slow down! I think we've passed that Castelia Cone shop about three times now!"<p>

"Hey Black! Bianca!" I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or aggravated when I heard Ellen's voice yelling at me from behind. Bianca stopped when she heard this, allowing me to turn around and find my traveling companion riding on her Blitzle in order to keep up with Bianca. The zebra screeched to a halt a few feet away from us and knelt down so that his trainer could get off. She did so gracefully and gave Blitzle's ears a scratch, resulting in the dignified face turning a muffled pink under his fur. "Thanks Blitzle! Hi guys! What'cha doin'?"

"Looking for my Munna, have you seen her?" Bianca asked desperately as she took Ellen's hand in hers, shaking them roughly. "She's small, pink, and the cutest thing you've ever seen!"

"Say, Ellen?" I said, hoping to interrupt Bianca before she started the presidential speech that she had planned out for her Munna. "Weren't you chasing Alicia? What happened?"

"I lost her," she replied, pouting up a storm. "She's gotten a lot faster. Even when I got on Blitzle, she was too quick for me."

_"MY LADY!" _Blitzle shouted to the heavens, drawing our attention like an ambulance siren would. _"I HAVE FAILED YOU! T'WAS THE FAULT OF MY INCAPABLE HOOVES THAT HAS PERMITTED OUR ASSAILANT'S ESCAPE! I AM CONTEMPTIBLE! MY LADY, MAY YOU RENDER ME A UNMERCIFUL PUNISHMENT! FOR I HAVE NEVER FELT SUCH SHAME!"_

"Wha'd he say Black?" Ellen asked, simply staring at her Blitzle with no idea of the medieval drivel he had just spouted.

"I...have...no...clue..." I said, totally bewildered. All of Ellen's pokemon were strange personality-wise in my opinion. Most of the time, I was never able to figure out Blitzle's words, despite being able to hear them in (his version of) English. "I think the gist of it is, he's sorry."

"Aw, no Blitzle! It's not your fault," Ellen hugged her pokemon in gratitude, making the electric type blush slightly once again. "Alicia's always been really sneaky. She probably hid or something. Besides, I need your help to find her again. After all, we aren't just gonna be able to look up in the sky and find a clue."

Hold that thought. Because, just then, I looked up in the sky and gazed upon a clue. A rather large clue as well. A pillar of fire had been shot up into the sky, towering high over Castelia's skyscrapers and lighting up the night sky better than any firecracker ever could. The fire eventually faded, but a chorus of what sounded like wolves howling soon followed. Bianca, Ellen and I all turned to each other, blinked a few times, and then dashed forward. We rushed around the bend, into an alleyway that led to the other side of the buildings, onto Gym Street where the blast had originated from. We exited the other side and found ourselves face to face with a sight that made all of our mouths drop open in amazement. Yes, even Blitzle's.

Across the street from us were two Plasma grunts, leaning over their fainted Sandile and Purrloin. Standing across from them were three dog-like pokemon as well as the junior police officer, Dustin. Standing a fair few feet behind him were two others. White with her Ducklett perched on her head and Axel petting a wild Venipede in his arms, who looked all too happy to be there. His Noctowl was also also hovering just above him. I hesitated for a moment. A police officer, my rival, and the Johto Champion all together. After a few moments of fantasizing that in sitcom form, I zipped across the street, carefully slipping around any Venipede in the way. Tony clung to my hat, laughing all the while at the ride he was taking.

"Hey! White! Mister Igaul!" I shouted my greeting with the same amount of nervousness I have whenever I talk to either of these people. They whirled their heads around and looked at me with varying expressions. I'll be more specific. Axel was glad, White appeared mad. "Did you...do that?"

"Hm?" Axel grunted and gave me a confused glance before grinning and shaking his head. "Naw. Plasma was on the lookout, and Dustin here jumped at the chance to take them out. So White and I just sat back and enjoyed the show."

"Jak, Kara, Aidan! Way to go!" Dustin praised his Houndoom, Mightyena, and Growlithe. Unfortunately, as he distracted himself with his gratitude, the two Plasma grunts who had been momentarily paralyzed had gotten their bearings. The two scooped their pokemon into their arms protectively and proceeded into the building, giving Dustin a nasty glare before slamming the metal doors. Dustin realized his mistake seconds after this and catapulted himself forward, slamming directly into the doors with all his inertia. And for a second, he stood there, leaning against the door with all his might. Then he tipped over, obviously frozen with pain. "OW!"

Axel sighed along with White as he walked up to Dustin, walking past the officer's pokemon and placing the Venipede he'd been holding on the wall of the Plasma building. He knelt over and helped Dustin onto his weak feet, leaving the younger man to keep himself stable. Axel cracked his knuckles, peering into the door as if he could see straight through it.

"What is he doing Black?" Bianca and Ellen asked me in unison. I shrugged my shoulders. I could never figure out what Axel planned on doing. He always had something up his sleeve, I was just never sure what it was.

"What _are _you doing?" White and Dustin followed up as they questioned Axel in the exact same tone the girls had done so with me. Axel didn't answer. The only thing he was worried about was getting through that door. He tried the knob, but the clicking of his attempts were mere background noise to the puzzle. So he shook his head and stepped back a few feet, beckoning Ellen, Bianca and I towards the door. We gave each other a withering glance and did as instructed, managing to avoid all Venipede.

"Ah, doors," Axel began what I predicted would be a long-winded and pointless speech. "Annoying little things. Doors have bugged me since day one of my first journey. Boy, was that a long time ago. Heh heh. My hair was so short. But this isn't about my hair for once. Now then, there are two ways we can go about this. I can either use my pokemon at full blast and blow the doors open, which I'll admit would be the more entertaining option, or I could just use this."

Axel reached into his jeans' pocket, fishing out the same pen-like electronic device he had used on Tony's pokeball when we had first met. The word 'Silph' was still blazen across it. He pointed the device at the door and held down the button. The tip of the pen lit up and the door made a 'click'. Axel put his gadget away and tried the knob once again. This time, it yielded to him, allowing the sound of an alarm to rush through the entryway. We all gave Axel a look that said, "SERIOUSLY?" He countered with a shrug and a snicker, continuing inside. Dustin went right after him, his pokemon in hot pursuit. White went in next, and, of course, Ellen and Bianca felt the need to drag me inside as well.

Upon entry to this massive building, the alarm blaring in my ears shut off. It was okay, I didn't need it anymore. I was quite alarmed enough by what was in that lobby. There stood in this room a group of Plasma grunts (Alicia wasn't present) standing behind three elderly men in robes. The one on the left looked the eldest, wearing a set of blue robes. The one on the right looked almost as old, but wore brown robes. And in the middle stood the youngest and yet the most ridiculously dressed of the three. His robes were kept up with a set of armor which looked to have been built specifically for his shoulders. His robes were dual coloured (blue and yellow) with eye designs on each side. He had a device covering his eye which looked like an electronic eye patch. And to top of the pretentious feel I got from this guy, his long green hair had been manipulated to look like a crown, and not only that, but the Team Plasma symbol had been placed front and center on his outfit.

I wasn't sure why, but when I looked at this guy, a pit of boiling anger welled up in my stomach. Don't ask me why, I know it's a random thing to say, but it was true. My face couldn't help but squish itself into a glare when I looked at this guy. And I had absolutely no idea why. And if my sudden unexplained anger wasn't enough, I was getting another headache. It just flared up the moment I stepped into the lobby. It wasn't as unbearable as when I had had it back at the Nacrene Battle Club, but it was rather annoying. A beetle of pain was nibbling around inside my skull, and it was steadily getting worse. But back to the instant disgust for this man. It was almost instinctual when my feet seemed to take on a life of their own. I began sauntering over to the man, unsure of what violent act I would perform once I got there. I just knew he was gonna be bleeding when I was through.

"Hold it Blackster!" Axel said, holding out a hand to stop me. I halted and looked up at my hero, cringing as I saw his face. I swear, everything that's happened so far has been a day to the supermarket compared to the weirdness I saw when I looked in Axel's face.

Axel had...changed in the last few seconds. I had to back up a few feet when I saw it. It was so surprising. Before he had gone through those front doors, he had been grinning in a way that I had never seen a man grin before. With so much energy and happiness, I could've sworn I was staring at a beam of sunlight. But now...he was completely different. His eyebrows had been narrowed as much as I had ever seen them. I couldn't even see his intense stare anymore since he had angled his glasses to directly reflect the light, effectively hiding his eyes. And overall I just got a...darker vibe than I had ever gotten from the professional trainer. He had never seemed that intimidating, but now I was afraid of him. And I had _never _been afraid of this guy. He had (technically) been like a mentor to me. And here I was, shuffling away from him as if he were N or Yuki. Ellen grabbed me by the shoulders. I looked at her and she gestured at Axel. I rolled my eyes. Looks like she wasn't trying to console me. She was hiding from Axel int he same way I was. Even White was looking a little uncomfortable standing next to him.

But enough about Axel. Back to the weird guy with the green hair. I never thought I would meet _two _weirdos with green hair, but whatever. He was about to speak, and I swear that I've never met a person with a voice like his that made me want to throw up and punch someone in the face at the same time. He sounded so overly calm. He sounded like a commercial. The kind of commercial that tried to sell you something pointless and unnecessary.

"My word," the man began, "if it isn't the Johto League Champion, Axel."

"How kind of you to know my name," Axel replied as he crossed his arms, clearly not buying any of this advertiser's crap. "May I assume that you're Ghetsis? Commander and chief of Team Plasma?"

"Ghetsis...?" I said slowly, my headache spiking suddenly.

"Ah, the feeling of gratitude is mirrored, Mister Igaul." Ghetsis said, grinning kindly. "I see you've heard one of our public speeches."

"I'm afraid I got the cliff notes version. I'll make this short. I want to know who you are, what your so-called team is trying to accomplish, and what the point was in taking a pokemon from an innocent girl who treats pokemon better than you people seem to."

"I assure you, Mister Igaul, I do not command Team Plasma to steal pokemon in any manner. I prefer to make our cause known with words rather than brute force."

"And yet, earlier tonight I witnessed a certain member of Team Plasma steal a Munna from my friend Bianca. As they were playing. Not battling. And not only that, this same member of Team Plasma has tried, on multiple occasions I might add, to steal the Victini you see on this boy's head from him!"

"Meep!" I squealed, looking up at Tony's confused face as my best friend stared at the Team Plasma grunts with curiosity. I had forgotten that I hadn't put him back in his pokeball. Right before Team Plasma. I literally smacked myself that time for my stupidity. I took Tony into my arms and clutched his small form defensively. Ghetsis laughed in a friendly manner, which made me detest him even more.

"I'm afraid this is a misunderstanding. If ever we would take pokemon, it would only be from wicked people."

"THAT'S BULL AND YOU KNOW IT!" I jumped in surprise when I heard White exclaim this. She had remained rather passive as of late, like she didn't much care for this at all. But this was a rather bizarre display of emotion coming from her. "I'VE SEEN WHAT YOU AND YOUR SO CALLED TEAM HAVE DONE! I'VE SEEN THEM ABUSE AN INNOCENT MUNNA! THE MUNNA YOU STOLE! THEY'VE STOLEN POKEMON FROM LITTLE GIRLS! I'll believe you take pokemon from wicked people when I SEE it happen!"

"White, please." Axel said, attempting to calm her down with a hand on her shoulder. He then turned back to Ghetsis. "Ghetsis. You're not helping your case. Still, I'm gonna add to my line of questioning since you don't seem to be planning on giving me a straight answer. Why are you after Victini? And don't tell me that you hadn't ordered it. You're the leader, Ghetsis. Even if you didn't order the theft, you should know what these thieves of yours are planning."

"I apologize Axel. For the actions of some 'rebels' in my otherwise peaceful group of associates. They are simply devoted to this cause. Perhaps more so than the law could appreciate, but I do. However, rest easy, I do not condone these actions."

"You sure don't sound like it. If you aren't going to answer my questions truthfully, then I suppose I should do the talking. Sound good?"

"Mister Igaul, I'm sure that as gentleman we can discuss-"

"If you would, please be quiet. When you start talking, bad things happen. People abandon their pokemon, your teammates get away with thievery, and you get to look like a legitimate organization, all when you open your mouth. So before you say your fruitless speech, allow me to say mine. I'd like to start off by bringing attention to this very city. In Castelia City, there are a lot of people with differing lifestyles and ideas. We all think differently. Every last one of us. So I can't exactly berate you for your opinion. I would be just as dense as you. But I can tell you something that we all have in common. We all love pokemon. Hell, our whole world REVOLVES around pokemon. Your little speeches have gotten me thinking about my relationship with my pokemon." Axel's Noctowl landed on his shoulder, staring almost as hard at Ghetsis as Axel was. Axel rubbed the bird's head. "And then they told me that it was perfect as it was. We understand each other you see."

"Why that's quite impressive-"

"Not done yet. I'll kindly let you speak when I'm through with my last question. What you're trying to do...exactly what is it?"

"Ah ha ha ha. You are rather difficult to figure out. You are a man who can understand the words of pokemon. And yet, you are even more intelligent than I thought. I like intelligent people. And I suppose I could make you even more intelligent by informing you of what our goal is. Do not fear, we do not plan anything evil. Are you aware of the legend of the founding of the Unova region?"

"I'm aware," Axel said, continuing to stare daggers. "I did my homework before paying my visit here."

"I'm not," I followed.

"Me neither," Bianca blurted out.

"I'm clueless," White grunted in between her puffs of frustration.

"You'll have to let me know too," Dustin was right on time with his round of obliviousness.

"I know it." All heads turned to Ellen as she exclaimed this. She blushed when she realized that all eyes were on her. Who could blame her? She had never seemed like a history buff to me. Even Ghetsis looked surprised by this, and he didn't know Ellen. But all the same, the man laughed that sickeningly sweet laugh of his. Makes me gag.

"Very well young girl. If you could please enlighten these others."

"Um..." Ellen wasn't sure. So she looked at Axel, who currently held the most influence in the room. Axel nodded. Ellen saw this, took a deep breath, and began. And when she started speaking again, that was when my headache began to grow more and more. Before, it felt like an insect was chewing at my brain. Now it felt like there was a miniature Drilbur digging inside. "Well, there were these two dragon pokemon. One was black and one was white. No one could stand up to them. Anyone who opposed them would back off when they saw these pokemon bare their fangs and claws. These dragons were partnered with two brothers. With their partnership, they united the people and made the Unova region. For a while everything was nice and peaceful. But then the brothers realized that they had different goals. One brother sought truth, while the other sought ideals. The two broke out in a war that almost destroyed the region that they had worked so hard to create. They were equally matched and a victor was never declared. I don't really know what was meant by ideals or truth, but I guess that that is left up for poets and stuff, right?"

"Wow...Ellen...how...?" I stuttered while fighting back a headache. My amazement broke through all the same. I didn't know Ellen knew _that _much about Unova's origin. Like I said. She never showed signs of being a historian. And of course, all Ellen did was give me a wink and then stared back at Ghetsis.

"Yes, that is a brief summary," Ghetsis said while clearly attempting to hold back a laugh. "There is more to the legend, but I suppose it is irrelevant. We, Team Plasma, shall bring back one of those heroes and one of those pokemon once again to the Unova region! With that combination, we shall unite the hearts and minds of people and pokemon across the world. With that partnership, we will create the world that Team Plasma envisions for all creatures!"

"Now I'm gonna stop you right there!" Axel spoke up for the first time in a while. Ghetsis raised an eyebrow. Of course, Axel didn't seem to mind. "What you're saying sounds pretty unlikely. But for the hell of it, I better say what's on my mind. What you're talking about...wouldn't it just _unite _people and pokemon further in this bright little world of yours?"

"Ahahahaha! Yes, you really _ARE _intelligent aren't you?"

"I do my best. And now, at the end of our little conversation, you've managed to avoid giving me incriminating answers. Now that's impressive. Though I guess it helps that I can't spot a single grunt here who has actually committed a crime. An amazing coincidence, 'innit it? Especially since I can't arrest anyone who's done nothing wrong. I'd say you're doing your best to be intelligent as well. But I have to say something before you make your inevitable exit."

"Oh? What is that?"

"Give back Munna before I go 'bad cop' on you."

"Ah, yes. Forgive me." Ghetsis said with this smug grin that made me want to tear him apart even more. He turned to one of the grunts in the room, who bowed to him respectively. "That girl! Give her back her pokemon." The grunt nodded, pulling out a pokemon from her robes. She tossed it over to Bianca, who caught it with both hands and released the pokemon immediately. Munna, upon forming from the flash of light, rushed up to Bianca and nuzzled her affectionately. My heart melted at this scene (though my head still burned). Bianca and her pokemon just had a way of making you go 'Awwwwww' inside your head.

"Munna, you're back!" Bianca shouted in between sobs, hugging the living daylights out of her pokemon.

_"Bianca! I missed you so much!" _Munna cried out, shedding as many tears as her trainer. Pignite, not wanting to miss out on the love, wrapped his stubby arms around Bianca as best he could. For a moment we all stood there, staring at the tearful reunion. And then Bianca spoiled her own moment.

"Thank you!" she said gratefully to the grunt that had flung the pokeball at her.

"Bianca! What are you doing?" I screeched at the top of my lungs. Bianca and her pokemon didn't move. They were too busy hugging. I don't know if it was the headache, the anger, or common sense talking, but my throat was somehow amplified to twice its usual parameters. "You don't THANK the people who stole from you, you tell them to GET OUT OF YOUR FACE WHILE THEY STILL CAN!"

"I'm sorry," Bianca replied, hardly paying attention. "I'm just so happy to have my Munna back."

"Yes, the relationship between pokemon and humans can be very touching. But in order to free pokemon from foolish people, we will revive the legend of Unova! And win the hearts of people and pokemon. Good day."

"Hmph," Axel said, turning to us and casually stepping to the side of the door. "Come on guys. Let the cult leader through, would you?"

"WHAT?" Ellen, White, Dustin and I all exclaimed at once.

"You're just letting this bastard go?" Dustin asked, with a look of hatred that rivaled mine on his face. Axel simply shook his head.

"Like I said. These guys haven't done anything wrong. You're a police officer Dustin. You should know the law well enough. We can't hold the whole organization responsible for the actions of members of Team Plasma who aren't currently present."

"But-!"

"Dustin!" Axel shouted, sounding rather commanding now. Dustin dropped his attitude and looked disdainfully at the floor. "Out of the way."

Dustin gave a growl at Ghetsis, and for a moment, I thought he was gonna pounce. But the officer relented, stepping back towards me. White, with a frustrated and muffled moan, followed suit. Ellen and I had to drag Bianca and her pokemon out of the way. The grunts exited first, dashing past us into the night. The two old men who had been standing beside Ghetsis led their leader to the lobby exit; however, before Ghetsis himself could leave, Axel threw a hand out, stopping Ghetsis like he had me.

"However...Ghetsis..." Axel started to say, grinning slightly. "I have a friend. A friend in a _very _high place. This friend has been keeping an eye on you. And he will continue to keep an eye on you. I hope you remember this. Because my friend, will never...stop...watching. Step one toe into criminal activity, and I'll be on you like a Heracross on tree sap. Have a good day now."

"Thank you," Ghetsis said with no sign of having been swayed by Axel's words. He stepped towards the doorway, but before taking the final stride outside, he looked at me. My headache reached its peak at exactly that second.

I couldn't stop thinking about all that had been said. Especially the bit about the origin of Unova. When I heard that, my aching brain began a rising action of agony. And now it had become absolute punishment. But I stifled the urge to roll over in pain as I stared at this man who I seemed to have no pity for. I made the exception for this guy. He was totally worth it if it meant I could sneer at him the whole time.

"Young man," he said in that irritatingly considerate voice. "I sincerely apologize for the actions of the member of my team who is trying to take your pokemon. I assure you. I have no plans for it."

"I'm sure you don't," I replied, putting as much contempt into my voice as I could. Ghetsis gave me one last sickening smile and left. And as he did, my headache instantly receded. I don't mean gradually, I mean that my injured brain healed itself like magic making me breathe a sigh of relief, drawing the attention of everyone int he room. I didn't care. That headache was finally gone.

"GYAAHH!" Dustin screamed and stamped his foot on the ground in frustration. "I'm not letting them get away with this! There are more Plasma grunts in this building! I know it!" And with that, Dustin dashed over to the elevator at the opposite side of the lobby, hitting the call button repeatedly. Even before the doors had opened halfway, he plunged inside and jammed his finger against the inner buttons, the door shutting before it had even opened all the way.

"Aren't you gonna-?" White asked the question fragment while pointing to the elevator. Axel shook his head and...what else?

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Axel burst out laughing, returning to his normal self in a split second. We all jumped in surprise. He was certainly quick to do that personality swap. "Naw. He'll be just fine. You saw him battle White. Now then, time to-!"

His one-sided conversation was interrupted by the sound of his X-Transciever going off. Axel answered it, pointing the screen to his face and his face alone. But that hardly contained the mystery since he said who was on the other end two seconds later.

"Burgh! Hey dude, it's been forever!" Axel greeted the man who I remembered to be the Castelia Gym Leader. "What's up?"

"Axel, it's so good to see you! And is that your Noctowl I see on your shoulder! Oh, there are no words to describe that wondrous bond you two share!"

"Cut to the chase Burgh."

"Oh yes, of course. I'm sorry. According to my X-Transciever, you're in town! And rather close as well! Why haven't you called to say hi? Oh right, silly me. It must be because of all these Venipede! They've been causing quite a scare. Well, no worries. My friends and I have handled it."

"Your friends?"

"Yes. We've drawn them into the town gardens. I owe it all to their tremendous help. The mayor and I are making arrangements to get the Venipede back to their natural habitat. But we should get together and catch up! It's been so long my friend!"

"Yeah, sure Burgh! I got some friends here too. How does Café Sonata at 8:00 sound? My treat!"

"Oh, yes. Sounds incredible! I'll be there. Bring those friends of yours!"

And that's exactly what happened. One minute we were standing around aimlessly in plasma headquarters, the next we were sitting at a table in a very expensive-looking café (all without running into a single Venipede). My pokemon, Ellen's pokemon, and Bianca's pokemon surrounded the table. All of them eating a variety of pokemon food that the café served. The staff told White and Axel that it was okay for their pokemon to eat outside of their pokeballs as well, but they declined the offer, stating that their pokemon had already eaten. I felt uncomfortable in my seat. The air smelled of coffee (something I never found appealing until I was twenty) and the chairs were wooden and uncomfortable. But everyone else seemed rather elated. White only ordered the most expensive things...and eating all of them. Half the table was filled with her orders. And she was eating them all up like a trash compactor. And yet, I was the only one staring in disbelief at this. Everyone else was just happily enjoying their meals. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at this point, considering the group I was in, but all the same.

"Sorry I'm late everyone!" I heard the flamboyant voice say as the empty chair next to me was suddenly filled. Burgh, the man with incredibly poofy hair had just sat next to me and was now holding his hand out for me to shake. I took it gratefully, and we shook. And I have to say, despite his spindly appearance, he had a firm grip. "Hi there, I don't think we've _officially _met yet. As you know, I'm Burgh, the bug type artist!" He said, clasping his hands together like an infatuated woman would at her wedding. "And, I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Um...Black."

"Ah Black! So bold and so straight-to-the-point! Why, your pokemon must love you."

_"MAMA!" _Right on cue, I felt a blow to the stomach as Perry leaped onto me, licking my face as his tail wagged. Burgh just laughed as I silently groaned.

"You could say that," I retorted sarcastically, petting Deino softly atop the head.

"So Burgh!" White shouted, standing up from her place and pounding the table with both fists. She was grinning confidently and focusing directly on Burgh as he looked up from his menu. "Am I still on for my gym match tomorrow?"

"Oh, I'm sorry White," Burgh replied, "but I'm afraid I promised my gym match tomorrow to my other friend. He was so helpful in taking care of the Venipede that I simply have no choice. It was so elegant how he worked with his pokemon, his friends, and his rivals. It's the subject of my next work. I can battle you the day after tomorrow, if you so choose."

"Ugh. Fine. Guess I'll have to settle," White groaned, slumping back in her chair.

"Oh! Oh! Can I go next?" Bianca squealed as she thrust her hand up in the air. I stared at her in shock.

"Come on Bianca! I want to battle him!" I yelled, resulting in a shaking of the head from her as well as Burgh.

"Uh-uh-uh!" Bianca said sweetly. "I asked first!"

"I apologize Black!" Burgh stated sympathetically. 'But I can pencil you in for the day after the day after the day after tomorrow. It's a long string of gym battles, but I'm sure my pokemon are up for it. What do you think Axel? Rather poetic isn't it? Axel...? Where'd you go...?"

We all suddenly became aware that our party had been reduced by one. His chair was completely empty. In fact, the only thing indicating that he might have been there were a bunch of bills in the center of the table as well as a not that read:

_'Sorry. Had a call that I couldn't miss. Here. Said tonight was my treat. Tell the waiter to keep the change.'_

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think?" Axel asked his X-Transciever as he strode through the night, the lights within windows of the skyscrapers giving him enough illumination to find his way. The cold chilled his bones, but he showed no signs of discomfort as he conversed with the small watch-esque device. "Team Plasma, think they'll show up to my tournament?"<p>

"A place that filled with pokemon battles? Of course they will." The person on the other side of the conversation said with a monotoned voice. "Are you prepared?"

"Are you kidding? In just one week, my boat's gonna take off. And I hope...I have a good grasp on things." Axel looked up at the perfectly round moon and furrowed his brow. "Now, what was that you were saying about the Kanto Champion being in the region?"

**End of Chapter Twenty-One. **

**Well, I said it would be faster, didn't I? I hope I didn't have too many writing mistakes. If I did, I'll be sure to fix them.**

**Anyway, I know I changed a LOT of stuff from the games. But hey, I feel I had to. Plus, different medium of storytelling, so I get to make exceptions and stuff. Also, did anyone notice Iris seemed to be missing from that whole thing? Also, that Venipede problem seemed to solve itself rather easily, didn't it? **

**Gee, I WONDER WHY!**

**….Damn, sarcasm is hard to pull off when you're writing it. **

**In the next chapter, IT'S CONTEST TIME (as Cilan would say) again here on It's Not Always Black and White! **

**Next Chapter: Ellen's First Contest**


	22. Ellen's First Contest

**Review Responses: Capito Celcior - Heh heh. That was the intent. Thanks for noticing!**

**Potayto - It shall be revealed in due time. **

**AngelicWings24 - I'm glad there's someone who does like Blitzle. It's an established fact that in the pokémon world, when a pokémon is accustomed to a human, their negative traits won't affect the human, ergo, Poison Point not working. Then again, I really didn't make that clear. My bad. As for your excitement...wait just a bit for the answer. **

**ZXCVBNMEM - Emi is cool.**

**Russetwing - Well of course White is tough. In the games, she's able to stay in a ferris wheel car with N for an extended period of time without screaming for help (though as a silent protagonist, she wouldn't do that anyway). That...takes...guts. Yeah, the Sinnoh saga of the anime was the weakest, by far. Though I must say, I can't recommend the new season enough. It's gotten good again. Really good. Though, if you're thinking about taking a look, free tip. Skip the first episode. I. Hate. That. First. Episode. But in the second one, it instantly becomes wonderful. Cilan is a laugh riot. There isn't a second where he's on screen where I'm not splitting my sides in boisterous laughter. He gets excited about EVERYTHING. Even subway cars! SUBWAY CARS! Oh, and, uh, Trip is not actually an OC. He's Ash's "rival" in Unova. And I use that term very loosely since he is a TERRIBLE excuse for a rival. There's a funny story about Axel and his "sonic screwdriver". I actually thought of the character and the device before I even knew of the existence of doctor who. Weird, huh? Another funny story. This fic was actually originally a ChessShipping fic. And then I realized: "Hey, wait. I can't write shipping fics and romance worth a damn!" Especially since I've always been of the belief that romance works best as a side story at the MOST. Thanks a bunch for the review, and of course I read the whole thing. I would never not read a review. I live off them. Especially since I have generally low self esteem. Oh, hold that thought, I just bought some donuts. **

**(Author munches on donuts.)**

**Hey guys. Remember when these used to come out once a week? Yeah. Neither do I. The reason for the delay will be explained at the end. Anyway, enjoy.**

**Chapter 22: Ellen's First Contest**

"Zorua use Shadow Ball! Blitzle use Charge Beam! Venipede use Poison Sting!" Ellen ordered the three pokémon who stood opposite of Witt, Joel, and Iva on the dirt battlefield. The three launched their attacks with gusto, giving me my cue to start fighting back.

Ellen and I were battling in the Castelia Battle Club. The facility was a skyscraper, like everything else in Castelia. The whole building consisted of the ground floor (a lobby area) and battlefields upon battlefields contained in every other floor.

"Iva, deflect that Shadow Ball with Leaf Tornado! Witt, block that Charge Beam with your scalchop! Joel, counter that Poison Sting with your Electro Ball!" My three pokémon all prepared for defense. Iva spun round, creating the Leaf Tornado which managed to send the Shadow Ball flying into the air and away from my team. Witt stuck his scalchop out in front of him, like a knight would his shield, and managed to dig his feet into the dirt as the Charge Beam struck. The scalchop was left with a scorch mark, but overall, the snickering Witt was just fine. Joel fired an Electro Ball at the pins of poison heading his way. The Poison Sting popped that Electro Ball like a balloon, creating an explosion which sent both bug types back. "Good job! Now, time for a counterattack!"

"Uh oh! Blitzle! Get in close with Flame Charge! Venipede! Start charging Solarbeam! Zorua! Give it a Double Team!"

"We'll stop all of those! Witt, use Water Pulse on Blitzle! Iva, use Grass Knot on Zorua's clones! Joel, send an Electro Web Venipede's way!"

Joel spat a string of electric webbing at Venipede, effectively stopping the opposing insect from charging Solarbeam any further than he had and giving him a good shock while he was at it. Zorua's form blurred for a few seconds before she split into several new "Zoruas", all surrounding my three pokémon immediately. However, all Iva needed was to make her eyes glow green for a moment. Directly afterward, a pair of grass blades appeared under each Zorua, sprouting upwards and jutting into these Zoruas, making all of them disappear except one. The remaining Zorua was tied to the floor with the Grass Knot, resulting in the fox's fruitless efforts to escape. Iva smirked, to say the least. Witt got his ball of water nice and plump before he attempted to launch it at the approaching zebra. The Water Pulse struck straight and true, making Blitzle tumble to the ground.

"Ha ha! Still want more?" I asked, smug as could be. It was satisfying to be _winning _a battle for once. "'Cause we got it!"

"Save your breath! I'm not gonna lose today!"

"Then bring it!"

"Of course I will!"

It had been like this all morning. And for the entire previous day. The time had finally come for Ellen's first (real) contest. She had woken me up at six in the morning on that day after our dinner with Burgh, White, and Bianca, demanding that I help her get ready. After downing a couple cans of cola for energy, we spent the day just battling. We had gone to sleep tired. Our pokémon were free to rest up in the pokémon center with technology designed to make them feel recuperated. But as a human, I was more than ready to go to bed. I was ready to have a good night's sleep. Only to wake up at five in the morning with Ellen standing above me, shaking me awake for last minute training. In total, our efforts had been worth it. All of her pokémon had learnt a new move. All of which she used on me in our final training session of the morning.

"Blitzle, use Thunder Wave on Iva! Venipede, use Pursuit on Witt! Zorua, use Faint Attack on Joel!"

"Joel, defend Iva with Electro Ball! Iva, protect Witt with Vine Whip! Witt, use Water Gun on Zorua!"

"Just what I was hoping you'd do! Zorua and Venipede, stop what you're doing and use Shadow Ball and Solarbeam to back up Blitzle's Thunder Wave!"

"Huh?" I spluttered, stunned that she was trying out a combination attack. Even my pokémon seemed a little perplexed by this sudden change in strategy. As such, they stopped their own attacks. Blitzle's horn charged up blue electricity, launching it in the form of a lightning bolt. At the same time, Zorua fired off a Shadow Ball and Venipede a Solarbeam directly into the path of Thunder Wave.

Unfortunately, this assault didn't have the effect Ellen desired. The three attacks collided...and immediately caused an explosion. All the pokémon were thrown off their feet by the shock wave. Even I had to dig in my heels as the smoke erupted into a miniature mushroom cloud, blowing the hat right off my head. I managed to catch it before it got away from me, but it was still quite a surprising blast. All in all, we were okay. All three of my pals got up without much trouble, but I wouldn't be able to say the same for Ellen and the gang until the smoke finally cleared.

Ellen was as fine as could be expected. She was still standing, not damaged in the slightest, and seemed unshaken despite the bewildered face full of soot. Her pokémon stood tall as well, though Venipede's stance was questionable. Ellen looked, for a moment, about to cry. But then she burst out laughing, resulting in a tilt of the head from my pokémon and I.

"Whoops!" Ellen blurted as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "That could have gone better!"

"Were you trying out a combo attack?" I asked, wondering where she got a crazy idea of combining random attacks and hoping they would work. Oh right. From me.

"Yeah. I just thought, 'what the heck', right?" Ellen was clearly enjoying this, despite her failure. And I'll admit, the sight both confused and amused me. A spontaneous idea like that was just Ellen's style, after all. Ellen reached into her pockets and took out all her pokéballs. "Great job guys! I think we're ready for this thing! Now let's head down to the contest hall!" With that, Ellen recalled her three pokémon, all of whom had broad smiles on their faces (though with Venipede it's impossible to tell what a smile is, so I wouldn't know) as they disappeared within the confines of their pokéballs.

"Yeah, you too guys," I followed Ellen's example by taking Witt, Joel, and Iva's pokéballs from my belt and pointing them at the three. "Way to play. We got some great practice in." And again, just like Ellen, I attempted to return my pokémon to their individual spheres. But unlike Ellen's pokémon, not all of them went back into their pokéballs with a gleam in their eyes. Iva dodged the red energy beam, and instead transferred herself onto my shoulder. She once again wrapped her leafy arms around my neck, giving me her loving choke hold. And I could only assume she was glaring at Ellen. I sighed as Ellen backed away from me. This had to stop. My neck couldn't take much more.

"Wow, that was a cool practice battle," I heard a feminine voice say that as the sound of gentle applause broke my concentration. I turned to the bleachers and widened my eyes. I hadn't noticed that there had been a young woman watching us with a pair of radiant sapphire eyes the whole time.

She was no more than thirteen, though she was a bit taller than me. She wore an orange jacket that was so long that it descended to her hips. The bottom half of which was adorned with two pokéball symbols. She had short shorts on as well as a pair of recently polished running shoes. Her brown hair was kept under control with the use of an emerald green bandana. Finally, she wore a pair of black and white gloves with emerald wrist bands.

"That last combination definitely could use some work, but other than that, you two looked awesome out there," said the girl before standing up and approaching us, a warm smile strung across her face. "Are you guys entering the contest? You'd be great."

"Yeah, I am!" Ellen said before thrusting her hand out towards the stranger. Our new acquaintance took it and Ellen rewarded her by shaking it far too roughly. "Hi there! My name's Ellen!"

"Well that's...quite a grip you got there, Ellen," the girl said through an awkward smile, obviously in pain due to this handshake. After rescuing her hand from Ellen's friendship (a torturous trial), her grin regained its warmth. "It's nice to meet you. I'm May!"

"May, huh? Like the month? I've always wanted a name like that. I could've been called April, or June, or October...well maybe not October. But y'know," Ellen paused, "I think I've heard that name, May, from somewhere before."

"Really? Not that common a name," I said in passing before realizing that that might have sounded insensitive. "Uh, no offense, May."

"None taken," she replied. A beeping noise then interrupted our conversation. I looked around for the source. This time I was sure that it wasn't my X-Transceiver. Instead, it turned out to be the watch May was wearing. She hit a button on it, causing the beeping to cease. "Oh, that's my lunch bell."

I widened my eyes as May reached over her shoulder and into her bag, taking out the largest hamburger I had ever seen. Her eyes lit up, and like a ravenous shark, she chomped into it. Iva's arms shook slightly around my neck. That bite was terrifying. And it was just two minutes until she had finished it off completely, wiping her face clean with a handkerchief.

"Ah, much better. Sorry for snacking during a conversation. But these Castelia burgers are just perfect!"

"Yeah, I can tell," my voice was cracking as I said this and I knew it.

"AHHHHHHH!" I jumped in surprise when Ellen screamed her head off out of the blue. She roughly shoved me aside which Iva gave a snarl to. My traveling companion looked May right in the eye and continued to screech, May backing off a little at this sudden behaviour. "NOW I REMEMBER! YOU'RE MAY! FROM PETALBURG CITY!"

"Yeah...that's...me..." May squeaked in between twitches of fear.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ellen squealed like a Cilan fangirl, only ten times as loud. "Your one of my inspirations! I can't believe I didn't recognize you! You're the reason I got into contests!"

"R-Really?" May asked, blushing. "I'm sure I didn't do that much."

"You're joking! Watching you in contests, even as a beginner, I always dreamt that I could make my pokémon look as amazing as yours! I've recorded all your performances and battles! All of them I'm telling you! Hoenn! Kanto! The Wallace Cup! Johto! I've memorized them all! You were so close in the semi-finals of the Johto Grand Festival against Axel!"

"W-W-Wait! You battled Axel Igaul?" I spluttered, still not remembering to watch what I say. "When did that happen?"

"You're kidding right?" Ellen barked at me before explaining. "Her battle against Axel and his Milotic and Xatu with her Glaceon and Venusaur was the greatest one of the festival! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! You totally should have beat him though! Axel only won by a single point!"

"W-WAIT! YOU ALMOST BEAT AXEL IGAUL?"

"WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS?" Ellen screeched, looking like she was about to slap me. However, she stopped when a Vine Whip attack came dangerously close to her face.

_"Where are YOUR manners?" _Iva seethed at Ellen. I had a feeling her fangs were bared since I felt two awfully sharp pins grazing my neck slightly. I should have been worried about what Iva might have done if these actions kept up. But at the time, I was still feeling good about no longer being at the opposing end of that anger.

"It's okay Ellen," May said, patting Ellen on the shoulder carefully. "Remember, contests are a new thing in Unova. That's why I'm planning to make my debut in this region today!"

"Wow! You're gonna be in the same contest as me?" Ellen inquired with a glazed and blissful look in her eyes. A few seconds later, however, reality struck. Sweat began to cascade from her brow. Her smile quickly transformed into an uneasy frown. She started quivering until she ultimately exploded in a fit of meek whining squeals. "OH NO! YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE SAME CONTEST AS ME! I'M GONNA LOSE FOR SURE!"

"Whoa, whoa," May stopped her in the middle of her rant. She got a sympathetic look in her eyes, easing Ellen's worries just a tad. "Don't start with that! I used to think that way too."

"What way?"

"Look. Ellen. The most experienced coordinator doesn't always win. In fact, more times than not, I found myself facing someone I had convinced myself I could never beat. Do you know about my rival Drew?" Ellen nodded eagerly. "Well, when we first met, he was like a wall. I couldn't even come close to taking him down. But over time, I came closer and closer. Until finally, I beat him to a pulp."

"And that's the...moral of this story?" I asked, hoping she didn't smack me for that sarcastic remark. But quite on the contrary, she just grinned and nodded.

"Pretty much. Never think you can't beat someone. Especially in a contest. Experience is no object there. I've beaten plenty of coordinators who I thought were too talented to lose."

"Did you rub it in their face afterwards? Because that's what I want to do when I beat a certain rival of mine." Specifically, the nerd who keeps forgetting my name.

"No. Mostly because I was too tired from the battle, but let's not get into that. Anyway, Ellen, do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, thanks May. I'm so ready for this! Only thing left to do now is register!"

"Wait, you haven't registered yet?" May asked, an almost terror-stricken face coming across her visage. Ellen smiled back, shaking her head. "Uh...you might want to hurry then. It ends in about five minutes."

"Wait...it ends at noon...doesn't it?" Ellen asked, blinking and shaking in disbelief. I could see the gears turning in her head as her gaze gradually shifted to her watch. I turned to my X-Transciever and felt a similar, but not as intense, look of tension tug my face into position as I checked the time.

And then my eardrums almost burst.

"ELEVEN FIFTY-FIVE? AAAAAHH!" Ellen bolted towards the elevator, kicking the call button with an intense force that would have damaged it were it constructed any more poorly. She stood there, waiting for the elevator door to open, doing a little jig that made it seem like she had to use the ladies room. But after about two seconds of that, the impatient companion of mine decided to forget about it and instead dashed towards the stairwell on her right. Of course, about a second after she slammed the door behind her, the elevator doors opened wide, making me snort from the irony.

"Is she...always like that?"

"No. You just caught her on one of her 'tame' days." I gestured towards the elevator door with a nod of the head. "Shall we?"

"Sure," she replied as we walked side by side to the elevator. For some reason, she gradually shifted a few feet away. I wondered why until I remembered the pair of arms coiled around my neck. Yeah, Iva's stare gives me a chill too.

* * *

><p>"No, I'm not getting you an ice cream sundae, Tony! You don't even know what it is!" I told my best buddy as clambered onto my head. I was currently dividing my focus between talking to the Victini and battling the crowds. We were in the contest hall lobby. I had a bag of popcorn curled around one arm and a large pop in the other. Is it a coincidence that Tony snapped out of his pokéball the moment I purchased these refreshments? I think not. But it was even harder to get into the stadium when I had a hyperactive knucklehead attempting to hang off my hat and snatch up all the popcorn. To make matters worse, the bottom half of the auditorium was all booked up, so I had to climb a flight of stairs with no balance support coming from my arms. The things I do to support Ellen. I had asked at the front desk, and even though I could never hope to have caught up with her, she had managed to make the cut in time. With precisely thirty seconds to spare. That girl could move. "Plus, I'm fairly sure the sundae is BIGGER than you!"<p>

_"Sundae! Sundae! Sundae!" _Tony sang, bouncing up and down on my head, causing my balance to weaken even more as I stepped into the main battle area. And from what I could see...it was an exact replica of the hall from the last contest I was at. But due to the fact that this particular hall was squeezed in between two skyscrapers, the space was massively reduced. The battlefield looked to be the same size, but there were considerably less seats.

"Keep your eye out for an empty seat Tony," I said as I twisted my head this way and that, looking for an opening in the crowds around me. However, Tony's lack of answering distracted me for the moment. "Tony?"

_"Mmmmmhh," _Tony mumbled as he stood on my arm, reaching into the popcorn bag and pulling out a large handful. He munched on it as only Tony could and I could do nothing but roll my eyes at this point. Sometimes, I wonder if it's worth it.

"Wha-? Do my eyes deceive me, or is it Black?" I snapped to attention when I heard the feminine voice call my name. I once again turned my head around the room, only finding a familiar face staring back at me. I would have waved back, but my hands were currently occupied with a popcorn bag that was slowly getting lighter, some soda, and my best friend who was slowly getting heavier.

"Hey Burgh!" I replied to the poofy-haired gym leader. I was happy to see him at first glance. Not because I could maybe get some insight on how to beat him (that thought didn't once cross my mind), but because of where he was sitting. He was standing behind a velvet rope which blocked off three pairs of plush purple seats that looked infinitely comfortable. They looked to have incredible leg room (which I desperately wanted) and each had stitches that spelled 'VIP' on the back. Furthermore, they were right front and center on the balcony with a perfect view of the battle area. And even better, Burgh was gesturing for me to come into that area. Yes! Finally, a lucky break!

"You're here! At a contest! That's amazing! Have a seat, my friend." Burgh sat down in the front seat on the left, leaving me to take the right. And let me tell you, it was the very definition of comfort. The moment I hit that seat, I felt like I had landed in a mattress direct from heaven. After sticking my drink in the cupholder and my popcorn on a tray table set out between the chairs Burgh and I sat in, I went completely limp in the seat. It was relieving to be able to just sit back and relax for once. And Tony was far to distracted by the hypnotic sack of popcorn for me to need to pay attention. "So what brings you here Black? And where's dear Ellen?"

"Ellen's actually why I'm here," I said before taking a sip of cola. "She's a coordinator."

"Ellen's going to be in this contest? OH WONDERFUL!" Burgh proclaimed in a voice that only a Lillipup could hear if it went any higher. "I can't wait for the pure hearts of her pokémon to put my own at ease! Oh Black, isn't it just magnificent?"

"Uh...yeah...I suppose." I replied hesitantly, trying to add up in my head how many of these kinds of people I'd met thus far. I lost count around Cilan. "So Burgh, you got the VIP section? How'd that happen?"

"Oh Black, I've been awaiting contests in this city for who knows how long! I bought my VIP pass the moment contests were announced to be in the Unova region! And apparently, I was the only one who did so. Oh well. Since there's no one else coming, I don't think anyone will mind if I let a friend of mine in."

"We're friends?"

"A friend of Axel's is a friend of mine! Isn't that right Dwebble?"

_"Sure thing my brotha'!" _I blinked in confusion when I heard the extremely deep and booming voice hit my eardrums smoothly and euphorically. And I subsequently cringed when I saw where it had come from. There was an orange insect-like pokémon at his feet, with large buggy eyes and a rock that looked way to heavy for him being lugged around on his back.

"Is that _your _Dwebble?" I asked, feeling stupid for not knowing the answer right away.

"Yes! Isn't he beautiful in the gleam of this lighting?"

"Uh...of course." I gave another clipped response while taking out my pokédex.

_**"Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom, to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rock easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth."**_

"Cool. But are you sure you're allowed to bring a pokémon into the audience?"

"Why, of course. You brought your...I'm sorry, I'm not aware of what species this little one is." Burgh patted Tony on the head, who was far too distracted with the buttery goodness of popcorn to pay attention.

"Oh, really? His name's Tony. He's a Victini."

"Ah, Victini! A mythical pokémon that has inspired such passionate artwork! I can't believe I didn't recognize a Victini when I saw one! Oh Black, you've given my such inspiration with this! THANK YOU!"

And, I'm not kidding here, he began to cry. I was beginning to regret hanging out with Burgh. Whether in the VIP section or not.

"Uh, not a problem," awkwardness just dripped from my voice as I blurted that out. Thinking of a way to distract myself from this, I reached behind me and took out all my pokéballs, setting them on my lap. "Now that I think about it, you all should come out and see this." I clicked each pokéball open, five lights erupting from each sphere before me. Instantly, I regretted this decision. Why? Because I forgot how heavy these guys were. Perry appeared on my lap, excited as ever, and tackled me with his incredibly hard head affectionately. Once again, I think I broke a rib bone. Iva took up her usual position by choking me as she got out of her ball. Witt took my shoulder and Joel was already on his way to slumberland atop my head. I groaned. Love hurts. "Hi guys...OW! Perry! No biting!"

"OH!" Burgh screamed again. I would have jumped in surprise...but it was Burgh. "Even more wonderful muses! Black, you are too generous! I've decided! My next art piece shall be titled-" Burgh stood up and did a pirouette which definitely reminded me of Cilan before finishing his sentence. "-Ode to Perry!"

"Hey, B-Burgh!" I shouted before he could continue with his speech about art. It might be insensitive to say this, but I really did not care a bit about his artistic life. So I desperately attempted to change the subject. "A-Aren't you supposed to have a gym battle with White today? And while we're on that, how did your gym battle go yesterday."

"Ah, yesterday. I remember it like it was today," I'll give Burgh this, he can put an artistic spin on an old cliché. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but he did it. "Yes, that trainer put in a passionate battle. My pokemon shined beautifully along with his. Truly, a battle to remember."

"And what about White?"

"Oh, her? Yes, she finished me off in five minutes. I think that's a regional record, actually."

"...WHAT?" I blasted the response directly in his face, making Perry and Joel leap in shock. For the moment, I didn't care. White had done a regional record? He had to be joking. No way that was possible. "ARE YOU SERIOUS!"

"Yes. She battled expertly. She had an offense the likes of which I'd never seen! Attack after attack came our way. Our defenses caved and she was the victor. And there is no shame in that."

"There is if you're me," I whispered to myself softly, finding comfort in patting Perry on the head to calm him down again. He grinned and cuddled up to me again. Of course, one whiff of his fur made me realize that I hadn't given him a bath since he was born. I'd be needing to to do that later. Anyway, back to White. "So I suppose she's left town already?"

"Hm? No, actually, she hasn't."

"Huh?" I spluttered, my voice cracking in an echo of hope. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Axel's holding a tournament and she's been invited."

"Huh?" I repeated for a good reason. This news could either be interpreted as good or bad. It was good that White wasn't getting too far ahead of me. But it was terrible that she was in the tournament. She beat a gym leader in five minutes! She would cream me if I ended up facing her. My tenseness developed to the point where my jittery hands were stroking Perry with increasing tension. Eventually, Perry started making little moans of discomfort and I realized what I was doing, feeling consumed by embarrassment and stupidity. "S-Sorry Perry!"

Perry replied by giving my face a lick. I stand corrected. Love hurts and it's got bad breath.

Suddenly, the lights began to dim. I grinned. It was just what I needed to stop thinking about the business with White. The show was finally starting. My pokémon, however, took the sudden lack of illumination to mean danger. Apart from Iva and Perry, they all suddenly clung to me a lot closer, Witt and Tony's arms cutting off the circulation in my right arm for a minute.

_"Ah! What's happenin'?" _Witt exclaimed, getting more afraid than I'd ever seen him.

_"Is another pig attacking?" _Joel asked, scuttling around frantically atop my head as he recalled his fight with Bianca's Pignite. _"WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO?"_

"They're just turning down the lights guys! Calm down!" I retorted, all three of them gradually calming when they realized that the slinking shadows weren't about to reach out and chomp on them. I heard three simultaneous breaths or relief, followed by the sound of Tony chomping popcorn, the feeling of Witt flicking on my earlobe for fun, and Joel nestling in the fibres of my hat again. I leaned back with a sigh. C'est la vie.

The sudden darkness didn't last. A spotlight appeared onstage, drawing the attention of and simultaneously silencing the audience members. Tensions were high as the woman who hosted the last contest twirled into the light ,resulting in the thunderous applause of the crowd who was all too eager for the contest to begin. It occurred to me that I didn't remember this woman's name. Heather? Sarah? Something with an 'r', I was sure.

"Hey everyone! It's your pal Jillian!" Or I could be completely off the mark as usual. Whatever. "Are you ready for another contest comin' at 'ya? I know I sure am! So without further ado, let me introduce our judges! First up is the Unova contest director, Mister Nostacte!"

The slightly middle-aged man with the slicked back white hair and cream-coloured mustache stepped up to one of the judge podiums and took his seat, waving to the applauding masses. He had a big smile on his face and you could just tell how jolly he was by the way his lip hair seemed to grin as well.

"Next up is the President of the Unova Pokémon Fan Club, Madame Forester!" The hauntingly beautiful woman with flowing golden strands of hair stepped into the spotlight next, quickly sitting down at her own place giving an unprovoked cold glare to her audience. Needless to say, she needed to learn the meaning of the words 'lighten up'.

"And last but certainly not least, we have Castelia City's very own Nurse Joy!" Nurse Joy skipped on stage, waving to the crowd with both arms spread wide. It might have just been a trick of the light, but it looked like she was shaking a bit. Huh. Guess even contest judges get stage fright once in a while. "Alright! Now that we've gotten you all introduced, I think it's time we started this thing! So come on out coordinator number one! Apollo Ruanea! All the way from the Johto Region!"

"Did she say Apollo Ruanea?" Burgh asked out of the blue, his eyes suddenly aglitter. My pokémon and I turned to him, looking as confused as you'd expect. Burgh noticed our confused looks and laughed. "I forget, you're not a contest buff! I'm sorry Black!"

"That's okay. Who's Apolko Ruanupa?"

"_Apollo Ruanea. _He's a famous coordinator from Johto. He's participated in two grand festivals, both times scoring among the top eight."

"Uh...cool...Is that good?"

"It's an incredible achievement. Let me put it in another way. It's the contest equivalent of getting into the top four of a pokémon league tournament."

"Wow. That's pretty tough."

"Furthermore, he's also beaten Axel multiple times in their battles. He's a very talented trainer."

"He's beaten...Axel...?" I stuttered, completely bewildered. It was impossible. Just that day, I had met someone who had almost taken Axel down, and now there was someone who actually _had _taken Axel down. I audibly swallowed in fear. This was getting intense. There were two experienced coordinators in this thing. And if I was this worried about Ellen's chances, I could only imagine how Ellen herself was reacting to this. And knowing the way my assumptions are twisted around these days, she was probably facing it with a smile and a spring in her step. I grimaced as I realized that that was exactly what she was doing. There was no room for doubt.

I didn't have much time for such grimacing, however. Without warning, the stage suddenly exploded in a burst of black smoke. The whole area had been blanketed in a thick dark fog of unknown origin. I hadn't even noticed what had caused it. But I didn't have to be concerned about it for long. The stars of this show were already making themselves known. The top of the smoke cloud was now spinning, as if it had been caught in a tornado. And suddenly, a tornado did emerge from the smoke. A bright green tornado. Whatever the thing was, it was spinning at a high speed, eventually stopping long enough to get a good look at it. To my surprise, it was a pokémon. A cactus like pokémon with an almost humanoid shape. Her bright yellow eyes were placed just above a zig-zagged mouth and just below a bright gold horn. Or was it a thorn? Her "ears" were two long extensions which ended in pink flowers and were adorned with a multitude of thorns. The design on her body and arms made her look as if she was wearing a suit.

"Awesome! What is she?" I asked myself as I used my pokedex yet again.

"_**Maractus. The Cactus Pok**__**émon. Maractus**__**uses an up-tempo song and dance to drive away the bird Pokémon that prey on its flower seeds."**_

But that wasn't even the end to my excitement. Right in Maractus' wake, another shape flew out from the smoke. Or rather, three shapes. The first was what the other two were on top of it. He was a bird pokémon. He was rather large for a bird, ranging at around two feet tall. However, his dark blue feathers made him look like anything but a bird. He looked as though he was wearing a fedora hat, and overall, resembled a man in formal wear. His neck feathers had the look of a cravat. The second shape was a human being, riding atop the flying pokémon. He looked around sixteen, no older, and wore a very theatrical getup. He wore very expensive-looking white gloves, which contrasted with his fine black suit. His shoulders bore a scarlet cape that was tied together with a light blue broche. His scarlet bowtie matched the colour of his cape as well as his massive amount of hair. Seriously, his bright red hair had been tied back into a ponytail, but not like Axel's ponytail. This ponytail was LONG. It trailed out behind him like a banner as he glided through the auditorium. If he was standing still, that rat's tail would reach his ankles. The smile plastered across his emerald-eyed face made the entire female portion of the crowd screech in fits of fangirlism. Luckily, by this point, my ears were accustomed to that sound. The final member of this troupe stood atop the human's head, smiling just as broadly as his trainer. He was a red, circular pokémon. Above his eyes were yellow curly eyebrows and an orange face. Three yellow ovals were on his abdomen and a curvy yellow line was on his back. His paws were orange and have three digits each. Needless to say, I immediately took out my pokédex and gave a scan to the two unknown pokémon.

"_**Darumaka, the Zen Charm Pokémon. When asleep, even when pushed or pulled, it cannot be knocked over."**_

"_**Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokémon and the evolved form of Murkrow. Honchkrow recruits many Murkrow to travel with it, and it spends much of its time at home preening its feathers."**_

"Aw sweet! I've never even heard of Honchcrow!" I exclaimed, suddenly more excited for this contest than I was a few seconds ago. A few seconds, I hadn't even noticed that the Honchkrow was wearing a bowtie similar to his trainer's, or that the Darumaka was wearing white cuffs around his arms, or that the Maractus had a pair of pink bows around her ears. That just shows how captivating a simple entrance can be.

The trainer atop the Honchkrow hopped off, landing gracefully next to Maractus. The crowd and I hadn't even recovered from his entrance when he continued his theatrics. He straightened out his arms at his sides. I was confused by this gesture until, oddly enough, a microphone flew out of his sleeve. His quick hands snatched it up, bringing it close to his grinning mouth. The trainer stood up and took a deep breath, preparing for his upcoming performance.

"Bonjour, mes amis!" I winced as he spoke out in French. Not ANOTHER one of these trainers. "Don't take your eyes off zee stage, s'il vous plaît! For I, Apollo Ruanea, am about to create the greatest magic show of all time! Right before your eyes!"

"Magic show?" I managed to ask Burgh in bewilderment before the show began.

"The Ruanea family is a family of magicians. Don't think too much of it."

_Apollo:__Watch me as I dance under the spotlight-  
>listen to the people screaming out more, and more<br>Cos I create the feeling that keep em coming back,  
>Yeah, I create the feeling that keep em coming back,<br>So captivating when I get it on the floor._

_(Honchkrow blows away the smoke with a single flap of his wings. Maractus jumps up and flips, landing on Honchkrow.)_

Know y'all been patiently waiting, I know you need me, I can feel it,  
>I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that Monster in the mirror,<br>The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner.  
>Best when under pressure with seconds left I show up.<p>

_(Maractus uses Pin Missile, sending several white-hot thorns flying in a circular pattern above the three pokemon.)_

If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
>if you on the floor, bring out the fire,<p>

_(Darumaka uses Flamethrower straight up, the Pin Missile catching fire.)_

And light it up, take it up higher,  
>Gonna push it to the limit, give it more.<p>

_(Honchkrow flies above the burning Pin Missile, his wings lighting up with a wing attack, descending towards the burning Pin Missile. He hovers in the center of the swirling attack.)_

_If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
>if you on the floor, bring out the fire,<br>And light it up, take it up higher,  
>Gonna push it to the limit, give it more.<em>

_(Maractus' petals glow. Maractus uses Petal Dance, causing pink petals to start spinning around with the Pin Missile.)_

Get up both your hands, I'm in the zone, s'aite  
>put em in the air, if you more (and) more,<br>Cos I can't wait to feel it.  
>I go hard, can't stop,<br>But if I stop just know that Imma bring it back,  
>Never quittin' don't believe in that.<p>

_(Darumaka starts spinning while using Fire Punch, sending the burning Petal Dance and Pin Missile into a larger spinning vortex.)_

Know y'all been patiently waiting, I know you need me, I can feel it,  
>I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that monster in the mirror,<br>The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner.  
>Best when under pressure with seconds left I show up.<p>

_(Honchkrow begins to fly around the circle. He flies with his body just below the enflamed grass attacks, making Maractus and Darumaka look like they're standing atop the flames while he flies precisely below them. The flames give his feathers an orange glow.)_

If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
>if you on the floor, bring out the fire,<br>And light it up, take it up higher,  
>Gotta push it to the limit, give it more.<p>

_(Darumaka uses Belly Drum, creating a musical beat. Maractus shakes her ears, creating more music. She begins to dance atop Honchkrow; however, due to the placement of the flames, she appears to be dancing atop fire.)_

_If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
>if you on the floor, bring out the fire,<br>And light it up, take it up higher,  
>Gonna push it to the limit, give it more.<em>

Ooooooooo...  
>Gotta push it to the limit, give it more..<br>Ooooooooo...

_(Maractus' ears begin to glow.)_

If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
>if you on the floor, bring out the fire,<br>And light it up, take it up higher,  
>Gotta push it to the limit, give it more.<p>

_(Maractus and Darumaka use Solarbeam and Flamethrower, dispersing the scorched plants.)_

_If you really want more, scream it out louder,  
>if you on the floor, bring out the fire,<br>And light it up, take it up higher,  
>Gonna push it to the limit, give it more.<em>

_(Maractus and Darumaka leap off Honchkrow, landing and bowing to the crowd. Apollo and Honchcrow bow in turn.)_

Ooooooooo...  
>Gotta push it to the limit, give it more..<br>Ooooooooo...

Gotta push it to the limit, give it more!

"WHOOOOOOOOO!" The crowd was in uproar. And I could understand why. That was amazing. I was blown away. And from the looks on the faces of my pokémon, it appears they were too. I mean, getting a Maractus and a Darumaka to dance and make music while atop a Honchkrow and so close to a burning flame was incredible. I had forgotten how amazing these contests could be when the coordinators knew what they were doing.

"What a stellar performance from Apollo Ruanea!" Jillian commentated. "Now let's see what our judges thought!"

There was no hesitation from the judges. Each of their screens lit up with a number nine. The jumbo-tron, in turn, produced the number twenty-seven. I clapped along with the rest of the audience. Everybody in the hall enjoyed that one. We all thought he deserved such a high score.

Well, everyone did except for Apollo himself, apparently. I got a cold feeling as I saw him glaring up at the jumbo-tron. He was obviously thinking that he should have been perfect. The magician scoffed and adjusted his cape before marching off backstage, his pokémon right behind him. Yikes. That guy needed to relax a little.

"Alright! I know I'm pumped up after that performance! So let's keep the ball rolling! Next up in our random selection is a new coordinator from Driftveil City! Please give a warm welcome to Ellen!"

"Ellen already? Cool!" I said as I revelled in the good luck. I thought, since she was the last to sign up, she would be last on the list. But fortunately, they did it randomly. I laid back in my chair, ready to enjoy whatever she had to show me and the rest of her adoring public.

The curtain opened and my jaw dropped.

Whoever came out of that curtain, it wasn't Ellen. At least not the Ellen I knew. My face was instantly painted hot fuschia as she stepped out onto the stage. She had never looked this way. And I've never seen her do anything more surprising since this.

She looked…beautiful. Not that the fact that she did look beautiful was strange, but the fact that she had dressed up so much for this when she had been nothing but a tomboy earlier was. Her had been tied back in a Japanese style bun with two hair sticks protruding from it. Half her face was still covered with her shimmering brown hair, but her constant smile was plainly visible as usual. Here was the most surprising part. She was wearing a bright pink kimono with a white flower design embroidered all over it. Her face was glittering, and I'm fairly sure I was sweating bullets just looking at her. Not because I was freaked out but…it was just weird to see her that dolled up, okay?

"Zorua! Blitzle! Venipede! Center stage!" Ellen announced. She tossed all of her pokéballs straight in the air, letting her three pokémon emerge in the three flashes of light. There was a difference this time. She had given Blitzle an eyepatch (which he seemed unappreciative of), Zorua a red scarf, and Venipede a miniature baseball cap which she had spun backward. I take my enthusiasm back. Contests are weird.

"Zorua, use Shadow Ball! Send it flying!" Zorua nodded, pointing her snout upwards and launching a shadowy sphere straight into the sky.

"Now! Blitzle! Use Thunder Wave!" Blitzle's horn sparked blue, a bolt of navy electricity surrounding the Shadow Ball and entrapping it within the electric confines. I blinked in surprise. Ellen seemed…confident. Really confident. Almost abnormally so. Despite her freakout about May earlier.

"Okay Venipede! Finish it up! Use Solarbeam!" Beneath the ball cap, Venipede's antennae were beginning to glitter. And before Shadow Ball and Thunder Wave could fade, Venipede launched the beam directly at the Shadow Ball, making it explode with a boom. Suddenly, I felt a mild jolt of electricity head up my arms. Static had suddenly filled the hall, making everybody's hair stand on end. That included Blitzle's and Zorua's. Sparks flew between their fur, allowing the two pokémon to show off their dazzling coats. That was impressive. Especially considering Ellen had told me she hadn't had a plan going into that. I grinned as a warm feeling of relief slipped into my stomach. She was more ready than I thought.

And then everything went wrong.

Zorua and Venipede were making a pained face. They were cringing in pain from the electricity and the feeling of relief in my stomach took the first train out of me. Uh oh. They were paralyzed. That burst of Thunder Wave had completely backfired. Ellen and I gulped simultaneously. But unlike me, Ellen saw a solution. She immediately recalled all three of her pokémon, grinning awkwardly at the crowd. I gulped again….and again. That just didn't bode well for things to come.

"Uh….tah dah!" Ellen posed. The spectators clapped awkwardly in response. I couldn't blame them. That was embarrassing. I won't lie.

The first judge gave her a seven. The second gave my friend a six. And Nurse Joy was generous enough to give her another seven. All in all, that added up to twenty on the jumbo-tron.

I saw Ellen's face fall. And I could feel the despair that was passing through her.

* * *

><p>"Way to go Ellen!" I encouraged her as I came up to her in the backstage area. She turned her head to me, looking up from her slumped, depressed position. Her eyes lit up as she saw me, carrying Perry in my arms with my other pokémon refusing to head back into their pokéballs. They sat on my shoulders and my head, eating the remaining popcorn that Tony hadn't been fast enough to chomp down. "That was great!"<p>

"No it wasn't," Ellen gazed back at her shoes, completely sunk in misery.

"Hey! Come on now! Remember what I said back in the Pinwheel Forest? Keep your head up! Everything's gonna be fine!"

"But only four people are gonna get into the battle rounds. My score was way too low!"

"Yeah. Yeah it was!" Ellen and I turned around, both of us coming face to face with a familiar face. Well, it was familiar to Ellen, but she had described this person well enough for me to understand who it was.

"Oh! Hey Mikey!" Ellen greeted her rival who was smirking at us with her Pikachu and Emolga on both of her shoulders. "Hows it goin'?"

"Just fine! I saw that performance back there. It was a good start, but you can tell you didn't practice that one much. Did you?"

"No. Came up with it about five minutes before the actual appeal."

Well, that explained that.

"Feh. No duh. That was painful to watch." She was tapping her foot. Mikey was obviously impatient about something. Her lips were pursed, and she appeared to want to say something. When neither Ellen nor I said anything, she said it anyway. "Listen. You need to perfect your performances. Practice constantly. That's my advice to you."

"Oh….okay. Thanks."

"Don't…Don't thank me. Gratitude is gross." And with that simple little tidbit of advice, she walked away. I arched an eyebrow. Yep. She was just as strange as Ellen had described.

"And let's thank May for that brilliant performance!" Jillian's voice surrounded us. Ellen and I looked up at the TV screen above our heads along with the other coordinators in the locker room. The whole backstage went silent.

There was May. She was smiling at the cameras. And she had a reason to. We didn't see the performance, but I didn't have to to know that she had done great. The reason why is simple. She had gotten a perfect score.

"WHAAAAAT?" Ellen and I shouted out loud, the rest of the coordinators joining our chorus soon after. No one believed it. That was the only perfect score of the day. I suppose I shouldn't been surprised. May was a professional, but all the same, this was shocking. She wasn't even sweating.

"And that's the last coordinator of the day! Which means now's the time for the second round! You know what that means! Time to see who our second round coordinators will be!"

The jumbo-tron lit up with the images of four cards with their backs turned. The cards had the words "Pokémon Contest" blazened across them.

"The judges have scored all coordinators! Which means the four highest will be competing in the next round! Now! Let's begin!"

"I CAN'T WATCH! PLEASE BLACK! WATCH FOR ME!" Ellen squealed, planting her face into Perry's fur. Perry jumped with a start and began to quiver. He obviously wasn't so used to having a stranger's face so close to him. Granted, Ellen wasn't exactly a stranger, but still. "I CAN'T LOOK! I'M GONNA BE OUT! I KNOW IT! I KNOW IT! I KNOW IT!"

"The first coordinator is no surprise, I'm sure! It's MAY from Petalburg City all the way in the Hoenn Region!"

One of the cards onscreen flipped around, revealing May's grinning face. Ellen grasped my hand tight, making me cringe in pain. But I couldn't let her know I was just as nervous. So I squeezed back reassuringly. I felt her shake a little less violently.

"The second coordinator is a no-brainer as well! It's APOLLO from Violet City in the Johto Region!"

Ellen's grip got harder. I patted her on the back.

"We'll get through this," I said.

"Our third contestant is MIKEY! From Viridian City in the Kanto Region!"

Three cards had turned on the screen. All of the three people previously announced. Ellen was almost in tears by this point.

"And last but not least-!"

Ellen wrapped both her arms around me in desperation.

"-from our very own Unova Region! It's Ellen! From Driftveil City!"

"!" Ellen screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down in a victory dance. She turned back to hug me again…and immediately backed away. Oh, yeah, that was right. Iva was still on my shoulder.

"Um…nice Ellen! Y-You're in! Told you there was nothing to worry about!" I said, unable to get the shakiness out of my tone. Lucky for me, Ellen was too joy-drunk to notice.

"Yeah! Thanks for the support Black! I knew it was a good idea to have you around!"

"Yes you heard it here folks!" Jillian continued, keeping her pep up. "Round two will be fought among these four talented trainers! The judges have already decided the order of battle! First up, Mikey and Apollo will have their match! And soon afterwards, it'll be May against Ellen!"

Ellen's trembling hand clutched mine once more.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Two!**

**Anyway, yeah, I'm sorry. This chapter wasn't all that good. And I took forever with it. But…there is a reason that this one took so long. I said this in my other story, so I might as well inform you guys too. **

**Listen, I'll tell you why this took so long. It wasn't because of real life (though that was a factor), but because I went to see my doctor recently. Y'see folks, there's been a lot times during the day where I am so tired that I have an irresistible urge to take a nap. And don't tell me I'm just lazy because that's exactly the opposite. There's nothing more I want to do when I get home but pick up the keyboard and write. But I just cannot fight it. Sometimes I'll be in the middle of typing and I'll fall asleep right at my desk. **

**So I paid my doctor a visit and he has a theory. Y'see there's been a lot of…erm….death happening around me lately. Friends and family have been passing away recently and my doctor thinks these constant escapes to slumber are a sign of clinical depression. It's a condition that most, if not all, individuals are unable to combat on their own. I'm taking therapy right now, but it doesn't leave much time for writing. So, please understand, that the delays are not my intention. I still love writing this story and I'm sorry I keep making you wait so long repeatedly. Looking back and seeing some old nice reviews are great inspiration to keep me going during the writing process, so I'd like to thank you all personally for keeping the story going.**

**So yeah, other than that, I'll see you guys the next time I pump out a chapter. **

**Featured song: "More" by Usher**

**Next Chapter: Round two begin! Ellen vs. May!**


	23. Round Two Begin! Ellen vs May!

**Review Responses: That Anon Guy – Thanks. That means a lot. **

**Russetwing – Yup. I love May. She's my favourite Pokémon**** anime girl. And thanks for the support.**

**Awyeah21 – The Hoenn saga was the best the anime got in my humble opinion.**

**Emi – Thank you. **

**LugiaLegendz2244 – Thanks for the props.**

**AngelicWings24 – I love these older characters too. Thanks, and, love you too. Huh. That sounded less awkward than I thought it would. Thanks for your encouragement. **

**Vaknuva – It's cool. I find it flattering that you like my stories enough to start coming up with theories for them. **

**Spyhunter – *Warning. Incoming spoiler* He's not really French.**

**I realize I've made you wait too long for this. So I'm telling you now when the traveling companion will appear. Wait just until Chapter 26. **

**I'd tell you how I'm doing with my current "condition", but as you probably don't care and just want to read the story, here you are. **

**Chapter 23: Round Two Begin! Ellen vs. May!**

"And we're back," said an overly-excited Jillian as the lights came back on stage. I had returned to my seat after consoling the distraught Ellen slightly by letting her choke me in a hug for ten minutes. There was nothing I could do now but sit back and hope she was ready for the challenge ahead. But first, there was Mikey's match. "I hope you're all ready for round two! Let's give a warm welcome to both our participants! Apollo and Mikey!"

The whole stage was suddenly illuminated as the two coordinators stepped into view on either side of the stage. The two gave a confident smirk as they approached one another. They slapped their hands together and shook them. However, I seemed to notice an atmosphere of... insincerity. The two had the exact same look in their eyes. Determination radiated from these coordinators like sunlight.

"As you know," Jillian continued, "in this Castelia Contest, each coordinator will release three Pokémon in a triple battle format. Then we'll put five minutes on the clock and give each coordinator one hundred points. The battle will end in one of three ways. All the Pokémon on either side could faint, either of the coordinators could lose all of their points, or the timer could run out. In the case of the latter, whoever has more points is the winner. In any case, I bet you're all tired of my talking, so I'll shut up and let the battle begin!"

"Hope you're ready to lose, Apollo!" Mikey said before releasing all three of the pokéballs in her hands. All three burst open, releasing her Emolga, her Pikachu, and a new Pokémon that looked like a squirrel with blue and white-striped fur. It had pale yellow electric cheeks similar to that of Emolga, making Mikey's entire arsenal consist of nothing but electric rodents. I took out my pokédex to give this new Pokémon a scan.

"_**Pachirisu, the EleSquirrel Pokémon. It gathers static electricity and hides fur balls along with its favorite fruit under the eaves of houses."**_

"Oh, ma chérie," Apollo said smugly before three pokéballs emerged from his sleeve. The magician began juggling them between his fingers, his confident smile not fading as he launched each into the air in succession. His Maractus, Darumaka, and Honchkrow all appearing on stage. "I do hope your words have a degree of weight to them. I would hate to win this battle so easily."

"AND LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!" Jillian shouted, the points and timer appearing on the jumbo tron above. Mikey's fists clenched and she seemed to decide to be the one to start the battle.

"Okay then! You wanna see weight? I'll give you a ton more than you can deal with! Everybody use Thunderbolt!"

Her trio of rodents took a deep breath and released a triplet of lightning bolts from their bodies, directing them right towards Mikey's adversaries. Apollo merely smirked.

"Double Team!" Apollo shouted, completely prepared for her frontal assault. His Pokémon all glowed for a moment before their forms blurred and a choir of Apollo's Pokémon were suddenly singing their cries before me. The three bolts of electricity charged right into three copies, all of them turning out to be fakes. That's when an eighth of Mikey's points were stricken from the record. I gulped. She wasn't too happy about that.

"Think you're funny? Well, here's a move I know you can't dodge with your little tricks! Use Shock Wave three times Pika!"

Pika nodded as his cheeks began to spark up again. He then discharged the electricity above his head, which formed into an orb similar to that of an Electro Ball, but much less powerful. Pika released the sphere, sending it towards Apollo's arsenal. He then did this twice more, and if I remembered right, Shock Wave was an attack that never missed. Pika proceeded to do this same attack twice more, almost ensuring an accurate attack.

"Dodge that!"

"Very well," Apollo replied calmly. "Maractus! Petal Dance!"

Every Maractus on stage began to twirl, their petals glowing bright. I knew only the original Maractus could actually _use _the attack, but unfortunately for Mikey, Maractus went about this with incredible subtlety. I couldn't tell where the petals were coming from because they were appearing so gradually. The petals cascaded around Apollo's party, the Shock Wave bouncing off the tornado of petals that Maractus had wrought upon the stage.

"NO!" Mikey shouted, her Pokémon looking just as shocked as she was to see how their attacks weren't even touching their opponent.

"Oh, mais oui!" Apollo sang, raising a pointed finger into the air, his cape flapping behind him elegantly. "Honchkrow! Dark Pulse!"

Honchkrow complied, opening his beak wide and releasing a flurry of dark wings from within. The attack broke right through the Petal Dance, aiming towards Pachirisu. The rodent didn't react in time. But luckily for her, Mikey's Emolga had the proper reflexes. Emon jumped in front of Pachirisu, taking the blow and clattering to Mikey's feet. He had my respect for enduring that Dark Pulse, but not the judges' apparently. Mikey's points decreased again, leaving her with only sixty percent of them remaining while Apollo's remained untouched. Mikey clenched her teeth. Clearly, she wanted to clock Apollo in the face, but the situation wouldn't allow it.

"Ohoho, ma chérie," Apollo said in such a condescending tone. "You should probably throw in ze towel here, s'il vous plaît?"

"No… way!" Mikey roared, causing a slight break in Apollo's smile. He shrugged all the same and began his next plan of attack.

"Allez Maractus! Pin Missile!"

"Not happening! Pika! Block them all! Rapid fire Focus Punch!"

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

A sparkling fleet of Pin Missiles emerged from the shield of petals, flying at mach speed, aiming at the pair of rodents left standing. However, Pika's fists began to glow a bright blue. And before I was done blinking, he was flinging them around madly. Pin Missile closed in, but Pika was ready for it, delivering a punch to every projectile that closed in on him, deflecting them harmlessly into the air. Apollo flinched.

"Ce n'est pas possible," he snarled, furrowing his brow as his score dropped to ninety percent. "I would like to see you escape this! Darumaka use Flamethrower!"

The petals surrounding Apollo's posse suddenly were alit with flames, lighting the whole auditorium in an unearthly glow. The sudden tower of flame was rather stunning, I'll admit. But it wasn't going to last. Honchkrow burst out the top of the column, flapping his wings vigorously to create a wind current. The burning pedals followed the wind, raining down upon Mikey and her Pokémon.

"That all you got? Emon, use Air Slash!" Her Emolga got up quick, jumping into the air and doing a flip before flapping his wings, creating a sharp current of air that connected with the onslaught of enflamed petals. The counterattack split the flame wave apart, leaving the three rodents to escape the assault through the narrow path made in between. The maneuver left Mikey's team unsinged and Apollo's points devastated. He was now holding at seventy percent.

"C'EST IMPOSSIBLE! Honchkrow! Brave Bird!" Honchkrow moved in on the three electric types, his feathers beginning to sparkle. The sparkling became increasingly bright, becoming a navy blue aura which surrounded the crow as he continued to accelerate.

"Going all out, huh? In that case, Pika use Volt Tackle!" Honchkrow's attack was evenly matched against the Pikachu whose fur shone bright with electrical energy. The bird collided with the rat, both creatures smashing right into one another. The two pumped up the power, the auras surrounding them flourishing into full-blown auroras as the duo continued to push against one another.

"Both coordinators have decided to use moves which cause massive recoil! And neither appears to be playing chicken!" Jillian announced with an almost fanatic enthusiasm. I couldn't blame her. However, the judges didn't share her attitude, apparently, since the points of both coordinators were steadily decreasing. Since Mikey had less, I estimated that she might have been finished if that kept up.

But fortunately for her, she had one advantage Apollo didn't. Type advantage that is. Pikachu broke through, smashing right into Honchkrow and knocking the bird backward, shocking him all the while. I heard Pika audibly grunt from the recoil (from my vantage point no less), but he was no worse for wear. Honchkrow tumbled to the floor, his head hitting the stage like a meteor. Pika wasn't done though. He landed atop Honchkrow's defenseless form, a loud moan of pain escaping from Honchkrow's beak. Pika looked up at Maractus and Darumaka, resulting in a fearful flinch from each of them. Apollo wasn't amused.

"NON! NON! NON! Zis will not happen!" Apollo's words were falling on deaf ears. His points were already at a tenth of what they originally were. Mikey had shot herself into the lead with a remaining twenty percent in her points.

"Guess what? It is! Emon Air Slash! Pach! Combine it with your Discharge!" Emon and Pach nodded at one another, stepping into action. Emon soared high above the stage, spinning slowly to show off his dazzling fear as Pach's cheeks began to spark with cyan blue electricity. Both snickered and Emon twirled rapidly in mid-air, the sharp air currents of Air Slash appearing out of nowhere and raining down Apollo's team. Simultaneously, Pach unleashed a flurry of electricity from her body which struck Honchkrow, Maractus, and Darumaka, soon followed by Air Slash which riddled the already injured Pokémon with even more reasons to cry out in pain.

And that was it. Apollo's Pokémon fainted and his points dropped to zero at the exact same time.

"Apollo's out!" Jillian screamed into the microphone, giving my ears another reason to quiver in fear. The jumbo-tron suddenly took Apollo's picture off the screen, leaving only Mikey's with the word 'WINNER' appearing under it. "Which means Mikey moves onto the next round! She's one step closer to that Castelia ribbon! But let's give a hand to Apollo! He put a great effort into-"

Jillian shut up the moment she glanced at Apollo to instigate his applause. It was easy to see why. The crowd as well had gone from a gleeful buzz at seeing such an awesome match between two hardened coordinators to the atmosphere you'd find in the strictest of libraries. We had all gone silent. Even Iva was shaking a little at what she saw in Apollo's eyes. Cold ominous liquid terror drenched my insides as I stared with eyes the size of planets at Mr. Ruanea's expression. His face was mostly stoic, his lips flat and his face untwisted. But his eyebrows and his eyes were absolutely frightening. All he did was gaze directly at Mikey with those frozen pupils. Mikey herself looked slightly phased at the soulless eyes that seemed to burn on the spirits of everyone in the hall.

Luckily, he closed his eyes, eventually. He strode towards Mikey, sticking his arms out at his sides. A deck of cards emerged from his sleeve, and he began shuffling them between his steady hands. He then thrust the deck in Mikey's face, spreading them out in his hand like a fan.

"Pick a card. Any card will do." Apollo said with nary an emotion in his voice. Mikey did, albeit a bit hesitantly, but decided on a card on the right end. She looked at the card and her eyes widened. Apollo returned his Pokémon to their pokéballs and walked backstage, leaving Mikey to sink to her knees as she continued looking at the card, absolute horror stricken across her face. To this day, I don't know what was on that card. And I hope I never find out.

* * *

><p>"Well, that was an… invigorating match!" Jillian said with a pained smile on her face. It had been ten minutes since Apollo had left the stage and no one had fully recovered from his moment yet. It took a lot of effort for Jillian to say anything, let alone with her usual happy-go-lucky attitude. "But let's move on! Our next match is between our senior and junior coordinators: May and Ellen!"<p>

A pair of spotlights lit up the stage, revealing Ellen and May beneath their glow. May looked confident wearing her shawl and violet dress. And Ellen looked absolutely dreadful. She still looked radiant, but the mere sight of her face told a different tale. Her lips were quivering madly, and she even managed to drop her pokéballs a couple times in the same span of two seconds. But she recovered quickly. Not permanently, but quickly.

"Without further ado, let's get it started!"

"Blastoise, Skitty, Drilbur, take the stage!" May tossed her three pokéballs, releasing a trio of Pokémon who all gave me the traditional look in my eyes. I took out my pokédex.

"_**Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokémon. Blastoise is the final evolved form of Squirtle. It can launch powerful blasts of water from its water spouts."**_

"_**Skitty, the Kitten Pokémon. Skitty will get completely caught up in pursuing any moving objects that catches its eye."**_

"_**Drilbur, the Mole Pokémon. Drilbur can dig through the ground at a speed of **__**30 miles per hour**__**. It could give a car running aboveground a good race."**_

"Ah, now that's interesting," Burgh spoke up for the first time since the second round began. "That Skitty is one of May's classic teammates. That Blastoise is from her days in Kanto. And that Drilbur must be a new addition. I've never set eyes on it before! But it stirs up so much artwork just waiting to be brought into being!"

_Yeah. 'Course it does. _I thought, quickly returning my attention to the match.

"Ellen. I hope you're ready!" May said, giving Ellen a friendly taunt. "Because we plan to go all out!"

"O-Okay! I'm g-g-good to go!" Ellen replied, her entire body trembling by now. I resisted the urge to bury my face in my arms.

"Come on Ellen!" I cheered among the others in the audience who were all supporting May. There was no way she would hear me, but it was worth a shot. "Kick her down a notch! You got this!"

Ellen merely gulped.

"Blitzle! Venipede! Zorua! C-Center stage!" Ellen catapulted her three spheres into the air, all her Pokémon coming forth to fight, despite their unconfident trainer. They didn't bother looking at Ellen to check on her. We all knew how she was doing.

"BEGIN!" Jillian yelled.

"Blitzle, use Charge Beam on Skitty! Venipede, use Solarbeam on Blastoise! Zorua, use Shadow Ball on Drilbur!"

"Counterattack! Blastoise, use Ice Beam! Skitty, use Blizzard! Drilbur, dodge with a Swords Dance!"

Blastoise opened his mouth, a glowing blue sphere appearing within. Seconds later, what resembled blue lightning shot out of the sphere like a laser, colliding with Venipede's Solarbeam and easily overpowering it. The Ice Beam blasted into Venipede, sending the bug tumbling to Ellen's feet. He wasn't the only one. Skitty's tail lit up in an icy white glow and before I could even blink, a flurry of icy cold wind burst from the appendage, clashing with Blitzle's Charge Beam. Surprisingly, the much smaller Skitty won out and Blizzard blew back Blitzle's attack. Blizzard stayed strong and Blitzle couldn't dodge in time. He too was sent flying back to his trainer, landing with a thud. Between the two of them, Ellen's points dropped by a quarter.

Zorua, on the other hand, had better luck. As she launched a Shadow Ball, she didn't aim for where the Drilbur was spinning in place (obviously activating his Swords Dance). She aimed for where he was headed, which was all it took to trip up the Ground type. Unfortunately, it only nicked Drilbur, resulting in him getting up in no time. The damage to May's points was minimal. I couldn't even see it very well on the scoreboard.

"Bl-Blitzle! Get up quick and use Flame Charge on Skitty!"

"Blastoise! Stop that using Rain Dance! Skitty! Assist!"

"_Roger!" _Blastoise said as he roared, making almost everyone in the audience cover their ears from the sheer power. But no one would look away, not with a huge rain cloud beginning to form above the battlefield. In seconds, the clouds had completely blanketed all the Pokémon beneath it. For the most part, it didn't appear to affect a thing. But that all changed when I saw Blitzle. He was charging forward with his body alit with flames. However, those flames were beginning to die out as the zebra continued to plunge ahead. I gulped. I forgot that Rain Dance weakened fire type moves.

May's defense was far from over. Skitty's tail was glowing with a bright white light again, but this time a miniature tornado burst from the orb, carrying dozens upon dozens of sparkling pink petals with it. Blitzle's flame had completely died out by this point and was rendered completely helpless against the grass type attack. He was knocked back once again, landing with less of a thud due to the slippery stage, but it still looked like it stung from the way he whined afterward. Ellen's points then dropped by another quarter, leaving her with only half remaining while May's remained almost untouched.

"Keep pushing guys!" May said, not letting up for even a second to let Ellen catch her breath. "Drilbur! Use Drill Run on Venipede! Blastoise! Use Hydro Pump on Zorua!"

"Venipede! Counter with Rollout! Z-Zorua! Use Double Team!" Venipede gave it a try, rolling into a ball and shooting himself like a cannonball at Drilbur who was soaring towards Venipede at an equal velocity, but moving like a torpedo with both his claws covering his snout, making him resemble a flying drill. The two smashed into one another, both spinning out of control. The difference was that Venipede simply rolled over and flopped to the ground, eyes watering, while Drilbur came out of his spin gracefully landing on his feet.

Ellen's points dropped by another ten percent. But her torture was far from over. Zorua managed to create two clones of herself before Blastoise's cannons shot out a duo of powerful streams of water, aiming right for Zorua's clones. Unfortunately, one of those targets was the real Zorua, making the fakes disappear in a puff of smoke. Ellen caught her hurtling best friend, the fox ripping herself from her trainer's grip. She shook herself of the moisture clinging to her fur. She glared at Blastoise with narrow eyes, not giving up even as Ellen's points dropped again, leaving her with only a fifth remaining.

"Zorua! Get up and use Shadow Ball! Quickly!" Zorua tried, she really did. She fired off at least three Shadow Balls from her muzzle, aiming directly at the trio of opponents facing her down.

"Blastoise! Knock 'em back with Hydro Pump!" Blastoise did as ordered, a torrent of water blasting out of his cannons. The Shadow Balls rebounded off the powerful attack, coming back to meet Zorua at full force. And as if that wasn't enough, Hydro Pump continued to push forward, following up the Shadow Balls by giving Zorua yet another forceful smack to the face. Ellen's points took yet another devastating blow, leaving her with only ten percent.

"Zorua use-! No, I mean Blitzle-! No, wait, Venipede-! I… use…" I grimaced at the scene before me. It was all I could do to keep watching. Ellen was at a loss for words. This was her dream. To be fighting in a contest for the ribbon she had been seeking her entire journey. But now that she was here, she was cracking under the pressure. She looked close to tears. She had been utterly slaughtered this entire match and it didn't look like it would be changing anytime soon. May was an experienced coordinator and Ellen was just an amateur. No one in the crowd of spectators could see any shame in losing. Ellen herself looked like she felt that throwing in the towel was the best way to avoid further humiliation.

However, there was someone in that auditorium who didn't even stop to think that Ellen had a chance at losing. If you looked from Ellen to this individual, you would wonder why Ellen was so concerned. The confidence emanating from this person reminded me of how much this match mattered to my traveling companion. And it reminded me of how little I had been in supporting Ellen myself. I had just been sitting in my comfy little chair, not even cheering for the girl who I had come to see. I felt like an insensitive jerk.

"Burgh, hold this for a sec, would you?" I said to the artist. And without waiting for an answer, I placed Perry gently in his lap. I then dashed to the edge of the balcony, leaving behind Tony and the others as I got as close to the stage as I could without falling off (much to Iva's irritation).

"ELLEN!" I yelled across the giant hall, not caring how many stares I got from below. I didn't care if even the judges gave me looks that screamed out how embarrassing this was. It didn't matter. There was only two minutes left on the clock and if anyone was gonna snap Ellen out of her funk, it was gonna have to be me. There was no other soul in the audience who believed in her right now. "COME ON ELLEN! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"Black? Is that you?" Ellen asked, not being able to see me due to the lighting. But both she, May, and May's Pokémon looked out into the audience with absolutely no expression whatsoever. They weren't sure what to think of my outburst as of yet. Was this allowed in a contest. Whether it did or not, I was too deep into my rant to stop now. The boiling hot pressure flushed into my face, but I wouldn't stop.

"YOU GOT THIS ELLEN! YOU'VE BEEN TRAINING NON-STOP FOR THESE PAST COUPLE DAYS! DON'T YOU GIVE UP NOW!"

"But…" Ellen said in despair before shifting her wavering gaze to the floor.

"DON'T YOU LOOK AT YOUR SHOES! THIS IS NO TIME FOR DOUBTING YOURSELF! GET UP!'

"I can't win though… I'm not ready."

"YES YOU ARE! YOU AND YOUR POKÉMON ARE BOTH READY FOR THIS! NEED PROOF? JUST LOOK AT YOUR ZORUA!"

"Zorua? Why-?" Ellen didn't need to finish that question. As soon as she laid eyes on her Zorua, her eyes lit up. Zorua, on struggling legs was still bearing down her gaze on Blastoise, as if he was a rat that she was about to snatch up. She wasn't doubting herself. She wasn't doubting Ellen. And she most certainly wasn't doubting the impending victory to come.

"ZORUA'S STILL FIGHTING! ZORUA'S NOT WILLING TO LET YOU DOWN! YOU'VE BOTH WORKED AT THIS! YOU WANTED TO BE A POKÉMON COORDINATOR ALL YOUR LIFE, RIGHT? SO HAS ZORUA! AND SINCE ZORUA IS STILL FIGHTING FOR YOU, YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP FIGHTING FOR ZORUA! AND BLITZLE AND VENIPEDE TOO! GIVE IT ALL Y'GOT! YOU CAN DO IT! SO DO IT FAST! TIME'S RUNNING OUT!"

Ellen didn't respond at first. She blinked in disbelief at her Zorua, then she turned to Blitzle who she found valiantly standing up as well. Even Venipede, despite the tears he was shedding, looked ready to roll for his beloved Ellen. Ellen had all she needed. She gulped, furrowed her brow, and stood up.

"YEAH THAT'S IT!" I coaxed as I got completely got caught up in the moment, resorting to the most clichéd thing I could think of. Chanting her name. "GO ELLEN! EL-LEN! EL-LEN! EL-LEN!"

I felt stupid. Cheering like an idiot wasn't part of my usual behaviour, but I never had the chance to do it before. Plus, it was Ellen, so I was willing to put myself out there for her.

And my cheering must have been infectious. The crowd was getting into it too.

"EL-LEN! EL-LEN! EL-LEN! EL-LEN! EL-LEN! EL-LEN!" The contest fans were enthusiastically shouting my friend's name, resulting in the final nail in the coffin for Ellen's disbelief in herself. A broad smile spread itself like butter across her face. The fire in her eyes was restored and May was about to burn.

"Are you good now, Ellen?" May asked in a friendly manner. Ellen nodded vigorously, not feeling the need to respond verbally. "Great. Because I want this match to end with a smile on both our faces!"

"Oh, I'll be smiling all right! All the way to victory!"

"We'll see about that! Blastoise! Ice Beam!"

"Zorua! She wants an Ice Beam? Let's return the favor! Secret weapon time!"

"Secret weapon?" It was too bad that May said that instead of stopping her Blastoise from attacking. But it was too late. The tortoise fired the icy cold energy, moving in on Zorua for the kill. However, that was, quite possibly, the worst mistake May could have made.

"We've been working on this move! Now let's see if we can master it this time! Zorua! Foul Play!"

**(Music Cue: Vs. Gym Leader: Last Pokémon – Pokémon Black and White)**

"FOUL PLAY?" I exclaimed in unison with the audience. I've never heard of such a move. But discussion was breaking out below me. The murmurs were all about how risky this gambit was.

They had nothing to worry about. As Ice Beam closed in, Zorua's eyes glowed purple for a moment, until a purple aura of the same shade appeared around the flickering Ice Beam. Then a miraculous thing happened. The Ice Beam seemed to curve, completely missing Zorua and then turning around to go after Blastoise. The shocked turtle didn't react and the Ice Beam struck him, making a thin film of frost appear on his shell. The maneuver altogether cost May a fifth of her points.

"WHAT?" May exclaimed, clearly not expecting such a defense. And neither was I. I fell back in my seat, gaping and wondering how Ellen just did that. Luckily, Witt noticed my confused expression, taking the liberty of pulling my pokédex out from my pocket and placing it in my hand. I thanked him later.

"_**Foul Play. This dark type move damages the opponent by using the attack strength of the target."**_

"No way! Zorua has a move that good?" I shrieked in my seat.

"What the-?" May spluttered. "Oh no, this isn't good!"

"Blitzle! Only one minute left on the clock! Let's make it count! Thunder Wave!"

"_Right away, m'lady!" _Blitzle neighed as his horn sparked up with blue electricity, a bolt of the stuff erupting from it and arcing like a rainbow until it collided with May's stunned team. Drilbur, being a Ground type, did not cringe. But Blastoise and Skitty cried out, having been paralyzed. May had been slow to react, and now she was paying for it with another fifth of her points.

"Go after Drilbur! Zorua! Use Shadow Ball!"

"Drilbur! Use Drill Run to dodge!"

"Don't give her the option! Venipede! Counter it with Rollout!" The rolling centipede and the twirling mole clashed in their conflict once again and the result was the same. Venipede spun out, putting another crater in Ellen's points. She had only a sliver of them left, but it was worth it. Drilbur ceased his spinning and was lined up perfectly for Zorua's Shadow Ball. He had his back turned which made him lose his balance, landing on his face as Zorua struck. May's points suffered again, reducing by yet another quarter and leaving her with only twenty-five percent of her points. That was still twenty percent more than Ellen had. This was hardly the end.

"Blastoise! Use-!" May began before realizing that the blue sparks flying all over her turtle's body wouldn't allow any sort of attack to be launched. She looked to Skitty and quickly saw the same situation. She clenched her teeth. Ellen had trapped her. That Thunder Wave had been incredibly effective. Two out of the three of May's team had been incapacitated by complete paralysis. "Drilbur! Metal Claw on Zorua!"

"Blitzle! Give him a Double Kick!" Blitzle rushed up to Drilbur before he had even gotten up from Ellen's last attack, giving him a swift pair of kicks to the face and throwing the mole into a roll.

"No way!"

"Oh yes way! All together now! Zorua! Blitzle! Venipede! Shadow Ball, Flame Charge, and Solarbeam! All on Drilbur!" May never stood a chance against the combined efforts of all of Ellen's Pokémon. Zorua let fly a Shadow Ball from her maw. Blitzle galloped onward, his body becoming shrouded in flame. Venipede's antennae glowed bright, a Solarbeam bursting from between them. Blitzle knocked the mole into the air, and soon, was catapulted further into the air when Shadow Ball and Solarbeam collided with him simultaneously. When he hit the ground, he had fainted.

"TIME IS UP!" Jillian shouted near the judge's podiums, all eyes suddenly on her. She looked up at the jumbo tron, the audience following suit. "AND THE WINNER IS…"

"…ELLEN! FROM DRIFTVEIL CITY!"

It was true. On the scoreboard, Ellen had five percent of her points remaining while May had just a bit less. It was close, so very close, but Ellen had done it. She had proved May's advice to be correct. The most experienced coordinator did not always win. After a few seconds of everyone realizing what just happened, the crowd broke out in a thunderous applause for Ellen. I joined in right away. It was too incredible. It was Ellen's first win. And, by chance, it had been against a highly experienced idol of hers. I whooped, absolutely ecstatic. Witt and Tony hopped on my shoulders, cheering Ellen's name alongside the newfound fans of Ellen.

"We… we won?" Ellen gasped in disbelief. Zorua confirmed her joy by jumping into her trainer's arms and grinning at her. Ellen hugged the fox tight. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT ZORUA! IT HAPPENED! IT REALLY TRULY HAPPENED! YOU WERE ALL AWESOOOOOOME!"

"_Naturally. My lady, I would never concede to such uncouth hooligans!" _Blitzle proudly proclaimed.

"_That w-w-w-was r-really scary." _Venipede followed up, tears escaping from his eyes. Blitzle rolled his own eyes.

"Hey Drilbur," May said as she scooped her mole Pokémon into her arms. "You did great out there. Thanks so much for the effort."

"_I tried my best," _Drilbur whimpered just before May recalled him into his pokéball. Blastoise and Skitty approached May as well, both with guilty looks on their faces. May simply grinned at them.

"Hey. No frowns. I know we'll win next time. You guys were great. You should get some rest too." May returned her remaining team members to their pokéballs. She then spun around to approach Ellen, who was currently trying to give all her Pokémon one gigantic bear hug with little success. May got her attention with a tap on the shoulder and thrust her hand out for Ellen to shake it. "Thanks for that match Elllen. It was a lot of fun. You're a great coordinator."

"W-Wow! R-Really? Y'think so?" Ellen stuttered, lips quivering as she shook her hero's hand.

"I know so Ellen. You're gonna go far. So to help you get there, here's something from me to you." May handed Ellen a pink rectangular case that looked a bit like my badge case. Ellen stared at it with a blank expression, almost as if she wasn't sure how to react to the sudden gift. "It's a ribbon case. So when you win that ribbon, make sure you use it, okay?"

"Really? I can keep this? THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" Ellen squealed, wrapping May in a bone crushing hug. May flinched and let slip a surprised "whoa" as Ellen's arms continued to crush her in an iron grip.

"No problem. But please let go!"

"Right! Sorry!"

* * *

><p>Ellen wasn't going as far as May thought. At least, not against Mikey. Their match had only begun thirty seconds earlier and it was already a tighter situation.<p>

"We're thirty seconds into this match and Mikey has already decreased Ellen's points by half!" Jillian announced. If you want to know how it happened, don't bother asking me. I wasn't even sure at the time. "And it seems that Ellen's team is already out of juice."

She didn't even have to say it. We could all see it. Mikey's three electric rodents were standing across from Ellen's team, looking absolutely smug. Ellen's Pokémon were the complete opposite. They were out of breath and running on fumes. And to top it all off, Mikey's points were completely untouched. Ellen was shaking again to say the least.

"Emon! Use Air Slash!"

"Zorua! Turn it back with Foul Play!"

"Don't think so! Pika! Use Thunder Wave!"

"Blitzle! Counter that with your Thunder Wave!"

"Pach! Discharge!"

Pachirisu's cheeks sparked cyan. An explosion of electricity burst from the squirrel, successfully zapping all of Ellen's team members. Emon followed this up by flapping his wings and releasing the bullets of air that cascaded upon Zorua, Venipede, and Blitzle, knocking them all backward and reducing Ellen's points another chunk.

"I'll admit! You did pretty good against May!" Mikey said with a smirk. "But you can't beat me yet! Pika! Emon! Pach! Finish it up with Thunderbolt, Air Slash, and Iron Tail!"

"COME ON ELLEN!" I shouted.

"Zorua! Foul Play!"

Even with my cheering, Ellen didn't stand a chance. Zorua attempted to open her eyes and use the secret technique that Ellen and her had developed. But she was too weak at this point. Pika's Thunderbolt struck Zorua, sending her flying into Ellen's arms, fainting. Pach struck Blitzle with Iron Tail. The zebra couldn't take the punishment. He too tried to get up… and immediately fainted. The flying typed Air Slash against the bug typed Venipede created the only logical conclusion. Venipede fainted.

The sound of a buzzer broke out through the hall. Ellen's face fell.

"And that's it! The match is over!" Jillian announced. "And the winner is: Mikey! From Viridian City!"

Ellen sank to her knees, cradling the zonked out Zorua in her arms. My heart sank. Ellen was crushed. I could tell.

Then again, maybe not. When she turned her head up to look at Mikey, she was smiling. Mikey flinched and gave what I guess I could call a friendly wave. Though coming from Mikey, it came off as a little grumpy.

"You all did great. Thank you so much. I love you guys so much." Ellen told her Pokémon, even though I swear they were too tired to even hear her. I sighed in relief. She was okay. She had lost her contest, but she was okay.

* * *

><p>"Hey there Ellen," I said to my friend in the lobby as she emerged from backstage in her normal clothes, looking slightly downtrodden, but okay. I grinned back, hoping to cheer her up in some way. The lobby was completely vacated, since everyone was still in the auditorium, watching as Mikey accepted her winning ribbon. We could hear the buzz of the crowd even from our position. It was amazing how excited people got about these contests. I gave a sigh. I'd take gym battles any day, but the roar of the audience sure sounded encouraging.<p>

Apparently, Ellen thought so too. She coiled her arms around me, giving me that boa constrictor-esque hug. You can hand her a defeat, but she will always be the same old Ellen. That's either a good thing or a bad thing. Even today, I don't know which one it is.

"Thanks Black."

"Huh? For what? And, can you stop with the hugging please? My rib cage can't take much more."

"Yeah, sorry. Thanks for being here for me. I won my first ever contest battle because of you."

"Don't thank me, thank Zorua."

"Zorua?"

"Yeah. I took one look at Zorua and I saw all the determination she had gotten by being with you. Heh, I just yelled a bit to get you to notice."

"Is zat zee case? Je ne sais pas."

My entire body shivered as the French accent slithered into my ear. I turned around, seeing Apollo standing before me. My heart stopped. He may have been putting on a smile at that moment, but that didn't stop me from getting behind Ellen to use her as a human shield. What? He was a freaky guy alright?

"I think zat you are incorrect, Black."

"H-Huh? You know my name?"

"But of course. Axel mentioned you."

"Axel? You know him?"

"Oui. Axel et moi 'ave been rivals since our very first journeys. And friends as well. Mon ami Axel talked about a 'Victini' boy and his traveling companion Ellen. Ellen, ma chérie. His description gives you no justice. You are far more beautiful."

"Awww, thanks so much." I mentally groaned. How many psychopaths can she be extremely pleasant to?

"I only speak zee truth. You show quite a lot of promise, ma chérie. Pick a card." Another deck of cards protruded from Apollo's sleeve. He spread the cards out again in his hand and thrust them into Ellen's face. Ellen thought about it for about two seconds before snatching a card off the top. She turned it over and I was relieved to see that it was a real playing card and nothing threatening. I was just about ready to grab Ellen and run if it came down to it.

Why do I live in fear of everyone in the entire world?

"Is your card the ace of hearts?"

"Y-Yeah!" Ellen exclaimed. "How'd you-?"

"Oh, ma chérie. You see, you received the ace of hearts for you are the 'ace' of my 'heart'." Oh dear. I almost laughed out loud from the cheesiness of that. Gag me with a spoon. "Say, ma chérie et Black, are you looking to become stronger trainers?"

"C-Course we are!" I said, suddenly feeling a little pride swell up in my chest when my battling strength was called into question. Me and my ego.

"Well, if you choose, zere's a place other than zee battle club in Castelia where you can train yourselves. C'est magnifique! I have trained there myself!"

"Really? WHERE?" I shouted. I was really getting used to the idea of having my Pokémon as strong as an experienced coordinator like Apollo.

"'Ave you ever heard of zee Battle Company?"

**End of Chapter Twenty-Three. **

**There we are, Ellen's first contest. I'm sorry I glossed over that last battle, but I already included two in this chapter, and I didn't want to overload you all on battles. Because that's what this was. A complete battle overload. I'm sorry…**

**Depression's getting better, apparently. I don't feel it, but it is apparently. Sorry for the lateness. I have no excuse. I know…**

**Next chapter, Black takes a trip to the 56****th**** floor of the Battle Company. But what could be the problem with that? **

**The Battle Company only has 55 floors.**

**Next Chapter: The Battle Company Haunting**


	24. The Battle Company Haunting

**Review Responses: Emi - Thanks a lot. **

**The Observer 00 - I'm honored. I'll read it as soon as my schedule gives me time to. It'll be soon, no worries.**

**harison86 - Yes. Zack will appear soon. **

**awyeah21 - All that dying and magical revivals can't be good for your back.**

**Russetwing - Apollo thanks you. **

**Black: Psst, TLD, Russetwing knows about the epicness switch! What should we do?**

**Me: Don't worry, we can still take over the world. We just need to make sure she stays out of our way.**

**Black: You do realize she can read everything you just said.**

**Me: No I do not realize that and I refuse to think otherwise.**

**Chapter 24: The Battle Company Haunting**

"WAHH!" I screamed in terror as I ran towards my sister, using her leg as my only shield. I curled my tiny arms around it as my whimpers of fear increased in intensity. My heart wrenched as I caught the attention of what had been chasing me for the last minute and a half.

_"We play Hide-and-seek? Okay!"_The afro-headed bull, Bouffalant, bellowed at me which warranted a squeal out of me. He charged, aiming directly for me. I shut my eyes, fear spiking within my chest.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Carol shrieked at the Pokémon, causing him to dig his hooves in. The bull stared at my sister, blinking confusedly. When he saw me opening my eyes again, he tilted his head at me. Then he began approaching again, more cautiously this time. I still released a squeak of horror. "I SAID STOP!"

The Bouffalant stopped in his tracks this time, looking quite confused by the order. The man whom he belonged to was scratching his head behind the newborn, but still rather intimidating, Bouffalant. It seemed he and his Pokémon shared an equal understanding of Carol's outburst. That being none at all.

"What's the matter, Carol?" The man asked as the baby Bouffalant gave me another look like he wanted to come closer. I turned away, hoping that that would discourage him. It didn't. "My little buddy here just wants to be his friend. I promised that he would play with him."

"What's the matter? Are you REALLY asking that?" Carol replied to the question by asking her own, kneeling down next to me and holding me protectively in her arms. I appreciated it.

"Come on now Carol. Hey, this could be his first experience with Pokémon! You do know how important that is for a kid?"

"Yes, I know how important that is to a kid who is NOT deathly afraid of Pokémon!"

* * *

><p>"Black? Black? Yoo-hoo? You in there?" Ellen asked me in the lobby of the Battle Company. I had been staring off into space for the past minute or so, daydreaming. Luckily, Ellen was snapping me back to reality by waving her hand in front of my face. We stood in front of the elevator that was taking forever and a day to touch the ground floor.<p>

"Yeah? Sorry, I zoned out for a second, didn't I?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment.

"So I noticed. I was asking you which floor you were planning to head to?"

"Well," I said, taking a look at a pamphlet I had picked up on the way in that explained the various ways to challenge the trainers in this facility. The skyscraper we were in known as The Battle Company, as its name suggests, was a corporation with Pokémon trainers as the only employees. The company apparently made money by making bets on battles. The challenger and the employee made a wager and the winner kept the money. Considering the company could afford a building of this magnitude, it sounded like it might weigh heavily on my wallet if I lost. "Apparently, floors one through twenty-two are for veteran trainers looking for a new sort of challenge and to sharpen skills they think they lack."

"Well, that leaves us out. Next?"

"Floors twenty-three through forty are for beginners. New trainers hoping to get that experience boost for their new Pokémon."

"Count me in! Those floors sound like they were made for me."

"Cool. Then I'll be off to floor forty-seven."

"Why? What's on floor forty-seven?"

"You kidding? The remaining fifteen floors are for intermediate trainers. And floor forty-seven gives away cool prizes if you beat certain people! I'm hoping for a Scope Lens!"

"Alright then. Now when is this elevator gonna get here?"

The moment she said it, we heard an electronic 'ding' from the doors in front of us. They slid apart, revealing the compartment within which were three boys, all carrying a fainted Patrat. They ran past us, all murmuring about what they just experienced.

"I blew my whole allowance!"

"Hang in there Patrat! I'll get you to the Pokémon Center!"

"I knew I was too young to take on the veteran floors, but noooo! You guys just had to convince me!"

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. "The trainers here must be ruthless! I can't wait to show 'em what I got! Come on!"

I entered the elevator, as giddy to be here as I was at my first gym battle. I was totally psyched to fight some tough trainers. My determination seemed to have an effect on Ellen since she bounded in right after me, looking ready to train herself up for her next contest. She hit two buttons (twenty-three and forty-seven) and leaned up against the wall, fastening a hand around Zorua's pokéball. We smiled at one another. This was good. We were proud of each other. We were doing real training for once.

"Well this is my stop," Ellen said as the elevator doors opened with another 'ding', the sounds of battles already in progress emanating loudly from within. Ellen shrugged, covered her ears, and headed in. She waved back to me as the doors began to shut again. "Have a good time! Meet back in the lobby in about an hour?"

"Yep! You have a blast too!" I replied just as the elevators closed. I realized then just how many people visited this place. I could still hear the sound of intense battling from the other side of the metal doors. Even as the lift ascended, the world was anointed with the background music of Pokémon duking it out with one another. Gosh, if it was this bad on the beginner's floor, I could only imagine how packed it would be on floor forty-seven where there are supposed to be rare items. I might have to wait a while before I could find someone available for battle. In any case, I had to plan out my strategy.

_First, I better send Iva in,_ I thought, _since she hasn't gotten much action lately. And then I better see if we can perfect those Electro Bolas of Joel's. Then maybe I can send Perry out for a bit. Who knows?_

The elevator was taking a while. It had been a minute, and the indicator on the wall stated that I'd only gone up four floors. I could feel the car itself as it went along like a snail. I sighed and tapped my foot in impatience. This could go on for a bit.

* * *

><p>"C'mon now Carol," I heard the man from earlier say heartily as I listened from the top of the stairs. He and Carol had sent me to my room, an order which I promptly disobeyed due to my curiosity. "The boy's just shy. I'm sure when he gets to know Bouffalant, he'll love to have him as his first Pokémon."<p>

"Why are you pushing this so hard?" I flinched as Carol yelled back her response. Even back then, when she was sixteen, she was a force to be reckoned with. "He's FIVE. And if he doesn't like Pokémon, he shouldn't have to spend time with them! Why do YOU want him to get involved with them so much? Isn't it clear enough that he's TERRIFIED of them?"

"He's just never been around 'em. Don't you remember? You used to love playin' with my Pokémon when you were a kid."

"I was never afraid of them. He is. And there's nothing wrong with that. But you keep bringing Pokémon to our doorstep and expecting him to instantly fall in love with them!"

"Can't I help him get over that fear, then?"

"And how do you plan to do that?"

* * *

><p>The elevator suddenly going stock still knocked me out of my trance. I let out a sigh. We were finally there. That only took five years. I approached the doors, getting mentally prepared for what was on the other side.<p>

They didn't open.

I raised an eyebrow after a few moments of waiting for the scrap metal doors to slide apart for me, but to no avail. I grumbled miserably. Oh, just my luck. If it's not one thing, it's another. I almost didn't look at the floor indicator on the wall because I knew, I just knew, that it was going to be bad news. With an uneasy gulp crawling down my throat, I shifted my gaze to the indicator in the corner and sighed in agony. It was completely blank. Yeah, that figured. Me and my ability to attract unfortunate circumstances. The elevator was stuck. I took a deep breath and let it out just as slowly. This was gonna be a long day. I could tell.

And then my delayed reaction caught up with me. I thought I had been desensitized to these kinds of situations by now, but ice cold panic flooded my veins once again, effectively dashing that idea. I rapidly tapped the emergency call button multiple times in a fearful daze. The button my finger was smashing suddenly lit up beneath it, earning a relieving moan from me.

"Hello?" A female voice, riddled with monotone, spoke up from the other side of the receiver.

"Phew," the word escaped from my lips without a second thought. "Yeah, hi. The elevator seems to have stopped. I really need some help here."

"Don't be concerned sir. We have detected the abnormality in the system and have already dispatched an engineering team to-"

The line went dead.

"No! NO! NO! Don't you do this to me!" I clicked the button in frantic succession. But the button that had once been lit was now absolutely blank. I ground my teeth and growled in frustration, holding onto my head as I processed the situation I was in. I was stuck in an elevator with the emergency call system demolished. A flower of fear was blooming in my chest, the petals tickling my lungs with their clammy touch.

I then calmed down again, It was okay. Everything was being taken care of. The robot on the other side had said she sent someone to fix the problem. I leaned up against the wall, my anxiety vanishing. For a second, I thought that my trip for training had ended in an inescapable position.

And then the lights went out.

"Oh, this can't be good." I said to myself, my shirt collar suddenly feeling a lot tighter. I couldn't see a thing. Darkness consumed my vision and childhood fears crept up my spine. Don't laugh. I've always been sort of scared of the dark. Not being able to see where you were going. The possibility of tripping and falling into the infinite unknown. The idea of something lurking, watching, and waiting for you to walk straight into its jaws. The thought of never seeing the familiar sight of light ever again.

My mind quickly thought up a solution. I took out my pokédex and turned it on, hoping for at least a little bit of light. My hopes were dashed again. The battery was completely drained. Either that or I was mashing the wrong button because it was refusing to turn on. Marvellous. It was just one thing after another. Now all I could do was stand stock still in the silence of the darkness.

Hey, come to think of it, it _was_ pretty silent in there. Abnormally so. I stopped tapping my foot impatiently for the moment and strained my ears. I couldn't hear anything. Not a sound of Pokémon pummeling one another reached my eardrums. I placed my ear against what I guessed was the door. Nothing. Not even some kid crying that they just lost. I gulped, sweat gluing my clothes to my body. This was getting weirder by the second.

Then there was a tap on the door. I jumped so intensely that I tripped and fell against the other side of the elevator, clonking my head in the process. I placed a hand over my heart as its beats became increasingly rapid. The raps on the door were repeating just as swiftly. That made me gulp again. The door was made of reinforced steel. I didn't think anyone could knock on them. But I couldn't have been (very) insane, because it kept up. For a while, I had no idea what to do. I wasn't sure if it was someone coming to save me or what. All I knew was that someone was knocking on the door of an ELEVATOR. While it was stuck in the shaft.

"Uh…" I stuttered after a few seconds of wondering what to do. Naturally, I did the most stupid thing I possibly could have done. I spoke. "Yes?"

Everything went cold.

Unbelievably cold. Ice seeped through my skin, straight into my bloodstream. It felt like I was in a blizzard wearing shorts and a t-shirt. However it wasn't just cold. There was something strange about these below zero temperatures too. Something almost familiar. The cold began leaching into my brain. Before I knew it, my head was starting to get fuzzy. My mind began to wander again.

* * *

><p>"Mmmmph," I whined as I strode alongside Carol. My left hand in her right. The man from earlier walked along Carol's left, the Bouffalant by his side. The bull had been staring at me throughout the duration of this walk and he made me cringe. "I wanna go home!"<p>

"It's okay Kiddo," she said, rubbing my head to comfort me. It didn't work. "We're just going for a walk. Afterwards, you never even have to look at that Bouffalant again."

"That's not what we-" the man began, but quickly ceased when Carol shot him a look. He sighed. "No, you never have to look at him again. But trust me buddy. By the end of the day, you'll wonder how you ever got along without him."

I only whimpered as we continued onward. If I were more observant, I might have noticed that there were far less houses in this part of town. They were old, with more space in between. And to top it all off, they all looked to be abandoned. There was no doubt about it. We were on the outskirts of Nuvema. Furthermore, they were leading me in the direction out of town. If I was aware of this fact, I might have slapped Carol's hand away and ran back home to hide under my bed for the rest of her life. I may have been young, but I knew enough about Pokémon to know that they were most abundant out of town. Which is why I never wanted to leave home.

A few minutes later, there were no houses to speak of. There was only the forest. I clung to Carol like sap. I could hear rustles in the bushes, each one making me cry out with a little more fear. The shadows cast by the evening sun gave me sadistic visions that picked at my brain, pulling new fear from its confines.

"WAAH!" I screeched when a Lillipup crossed the path before us, disappearing just as quickly as it had popped up. All the same, I was trembling with dripping cold fear. "I wanna go home! I wanna go home! I WANNA GO HOME!"

_"No worry!"_ A voice I had never heard spoke out. It sounded nice, so I opened my eyes… and instantly wrapped my arms tighter around Carol's leg. It was the Bouffalant that just spoke. It was smiling at me from the other side of the man's leg, looking at me with those eyes that burned through my skull_. "Black no worry! I protect you!"_

"Carol," I said meekly. "You promised!"

"We're going! This was a stupid idea!" Carol yanked me in the other direction. My hopes shot up like a firecracker. We were going home. And I would never have to be next to that Pokémon ever again. "Taking him out into the forest so he could catch one? I don't even know why I agreed to this in the first place!"

"Carol, come on now! You haven't even let him see the less threatening ones!"

"That was a Lillipup! A _Lillipup_! If he was afraid of that, then I don't even want to know how he's gonna react to a Patrat if we run into one. Those crazy eyes even freak ME out!"

"'Scuse me?" A little girl, about five years old seemingly popped out of nowhere. Her face was slathered in dirt and her clothes were no different. She, however, looked over the moon about it.

"Ha ha! Yes little one?" The man asked, excited to see a kid who didn't have a chronic fear of the outside world. In comparison to me, that was a relief to him. "What can I do for 'ya?"

"Did a Lillipup run by here?"

"Yep, it sure did. Right off into the forest there."

"Darn it! Well guys, I guess- Hey! Where'd you go?" The girl turned her head in all directions, apparently looking for some of her friends. And a moment later, they appeared. There was a black-haired boy with thick-rimmed glasses who was also out of breath. There was another girl there. This one was blonde with a tiny green hat on her head. Unlike the boy, she wasn't breathing heavily.

"There you are! You're way too slow."

"You… You expect me…" The boy began. "To keep up… with a Pokémon? Can't we play… back in town?"

"No way! I'm catching that Lillipup! And then you'll see! I'll be the greatest trainer ever!"

"Yeah! C'mon Cheren! Let's go! If she catches the Lillipup, then I get to play with it!" The blonde girl chimed in, right on cue. She then saw me and she grinned. My shyness kicked in and I hid my face behind Carol. That did little other than stall for two seconds since the blonde girl rushed up to me and tugged me out of hiding. "Hi! You wanna catch a Pokémon with us?"

"Uh… Uh… I…" I stuttered.

"Good idea Bianca!" The other girl exclaimed. "And look! He's already got a Pokémon. Yeah, let's go!" Both girls grabbed me by an arm and started to drag me off into the forest where the Lillipup had just run off to. The glasses boy was right on our tail.

"Ahh! Carol!" I shouted in mortal terror when I realized where they were taking me. "I wanna go home!"

"Hey wait!" Carol said. The man put a hand on her shoulder. She gave him her look but he simply replied with a toothy grin and waved to me.

"Have fun playin' with your friends Black," he said just as the Bouffalant dashed from his side, coming my way. His eyes were on me and he was catching up quick.

I cried.

* * *

><p>The doors of the elevator opened wide. And if I thought it was cold before, that was just the beginning. An eerie white smoke crept through the crack between the doors, freezing my insides to the core. I stood up shivering. I squinted in an attempt to see through the smoke. I gave up instantaneously when it was apparent that it was far too thick. Then a realization hit me. This wasn't smoke. It was fog. Dazed, cold, and confused, I stepped forward. Unfortunately, if I had bothered to stick around for at least a few more seconds, I would have seen something quite disturbing. If I had stayed, my eye might have caught the glowing blue number on the floor indicator. It read fifty-six. The problem?<p>

There were only fifty-five floors in this building.

I stepped out into the fog, glancing cautiously from left to right. I don't know why I bothered. I was utterly blind in this scenario.

"Hello?" I called out in vain. My voice simply became equally as lost as myself in the abyss. I groaned. "They could at least pay for their heating bill. It's freezing up here. Brrr, forget this! Training or not I'm outta here!"

I turned back for the elevator doors. But they were gone.

"What…? WHAT?" I ran in the direction they were once in, hoping that they were just obscured by the fog. My hands were outstretched in hopes of feeling the cold metal beneath my fingertips in just a couple moments.

I felt something all right. In fact, I smacked right into it at full speed, falling over in the process. I nursed my twisted nose, getting up in the process, using the elevator doors as support. Only, they weren't the elevator doors. Upon realizing this, I threw both my hands on the object, examining it and focusing on it with my eyes. This wasn't metal. It was wood. The bark of a tree to be specific.

I pulled back in surprise. My vision was gradually returning to me. And with it, a sense of where I was. The ground I was currently kneeling on wasn't the kind you'd find in a skyscraper. It was grass with infinitely soft soil. Trees ripped between the fog, surrounding me with their gnarled and twisted branches. No leaves to speak of. I gulped. It may have been my panicked imagination, but I could swear that some of these branches resembled hands. Hands which were reaching out to nab me. Frozen sweat drenched me from head to toe. It was clear to me now, that wherever I was, it wasn't the battle company.

And even worse. I had seen this forest before. A long time ago. I couldn't remember all the details of it, but it sat at the back of my mind like a pesky fly that refused to go out the open window. And none of it felt good.

_"Gray…"_

Yet another bucket of liquid cold horror trickled down my back. I whirled around as the voice seeped down my ear. I spun in every direction multiple times, desperately searching for whoever just said that. No luck. Whoever it was was keeping out of sight.

_"Gray… Oh Gray…"_

I backed up against the tree so they wouldn't sneak up on me. My head was constantly on the move, my gaze locking onto anything that gave off an aura of being alive.

_"Gray… We missed you… So very much…"_

My body was no longer shivering just from cold. My eyes were suddenly drawn right in front of me. My heart tried to bust out of my chest. No. It couldn't be. No matter how bad this was, I refused to accept this. Regardless, a purple light sparked up from the fog. Like a lighthouse, it immediately caught my attention. I stayed next to the tree like a piece of boarded wood. I couldn't move as my worst fear popped up before my eyes.

A Litwick.

And it wasn't alone. Every second, another of these appeared. This continued until there were five of these monsters, each bearing a creepy little smile. Not only that, but another Pokémon appeared. The new one resembled a statue. Well, not so much a statue as a bunch of rocks that had been stuck together with plywood. Even in my state, I was able to recognize it as a Golett. Though, while normal Goletts have a green coating all over their bodies and yellow features on their 'stomachs' and heads, this one was mostly black with bright green. Like Ellen's Venipede, it was a different colour than it should be.

But I was hardly thinking on that. All that was on my mind were the ghost Pokémon standing directly in front of me. Six dangers that could possibly kill me. My survival instinct told me it was time to start throwing pokéballs.

"Tony! GET OUT HERE QUICK!" I screeched, grabbing his pokéball and launching it at the spectres. It didn't open. My hopes died as the sphere hit the soft ground, not even budging. My face twitched. "TONY! ANYTIME NOW!"

It was no good. I had faced up against psychopaths out for my blood, gym leaders who refused to stay down, and a crazy plasma grunt who would never stop stalking me. But I had never been so terrified at any point on my journey. I was helpless.

_"Gray... We're so happy to see you again... Overjoyed..."_ The Litwicks' stares bore into me. My sweat was pouring like waterfalls. The tree behind me was the only thing keeping me on my feet_. "Now... we're never letting you go. Ever again."_

"Th-Th-Th-Th-That's w-w-w-w-wonderful," I said, my eyes darting to them, Tony's pokéball, any possible escape route, and the back of my eyelids. The Litwicks didn't seem to notice my skittishness. All they had on their minds was speaking together in their frighteningly gleeful voices. "But, uh, I-I-I-I got a qu-question!"

_"We've waited so long Gray... We will wait no longer."_

"Okay then!" I blurted out before attempting to bolt from the tree. However, it seemed I was unable to do so. My sleeves caught a snag, snapping me like a slingshot back into the trunk and knocking the wind out of me. I tried again, but my arms refused to move. My wrists remained stuck to the hard bark no matter how much my muscles strained them to leave their fixated place. I looked at my wrists and fell to my knees, my arms staying completely rigid. There was nothing holding them there. Nothing tangible anyway. "Uh... L-Let's not be too hasty here!"

_"Why do you flee? We only wish your eternal happiness."_

I really didn't like how they said the word 'eternal'. Thus, my struggling continued, despite the fruitlessness of it. I was ready to cut my wrists off. Better than hanging around with a bunch of ghost types who had a thing for making me feel like a rat going down a cat's esophagus. Of course, it wasn't happening.

"A-Any chance we could talk about this?" I no less than screamed as the group started skulking towards me. "Wait! Don't come any closer!"

_"Worry no longer. Soon, fear will no longer exist. Pain will not exist. There will only be you. Pure and cleansed."_

"Well, when you put it that way, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" I tried to break from my invisible restraints one last time, but they remained steady. I was breathing faster than I ever had. The Litwick army was right in my face by this point. They all crowded around my defenseless body with that soulless look in their eyes. The flames on their heads were beginning to build up. The flames weren't warm. This bluebell fire was dead cold. And since I was already at hypothermal temperatures, it's saying a lot when I tell you that I could feel even more frigid. It felt like frost was replacing my skin. My innards were basically chunks of ice. The cold was making it hard to think. I was getting drowsy. My efforts to break free became less frequent. My entire being was completely numb. "Stop it! Go... away..."

_"Take comfort in our flames. They will cradle you into your new life. You will enjoy it."_

"Get... off me!"

_"Sleep... Sleep... Sleep..."_

* * *

><p>"Guys... Where'd you go?" I called out, shaking in fear as I strode through the dark forest. My face stung from tears I had shed. I was alone with the rustles in the trees and wind howling in my ears. I had gotten separated from the others after the Bouffalant got a little too close, sending me packing. "Carol! I'm scared!"<p>

The noises of the forest suddenly ceased. And I began to realize how cold I was at the moment. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. I closed my eyes, hoping someone would find me if I cried out loudly enough. Because of this, I didn't see the fog that was rolling in.

_"We hear you."_ I turned around, wiping the tears out of my eyes just for them to be replaced with more milliseconds later. My spirit soared though, because there I saw a beacon out of this fog. A flickering purple flame_. "And we're here for you, Gray."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>WAKE!<strong>_

"Huzzat?" I spat, opening my eyes a sliver. They were so heavy. But that powerful influential voice was blaring like an alarm in my head. The drowsiness that this voice was keeping at bay was returning quick, and I wasn't sure that the echoing vocal cords would have the ability to snap me out of it again.

_**BLACK! WAKE NOW!**_

"Geez! I'm awake! I'm-" I managed to get out before realizing where I was. I cringed and pulled my legs away from the suddenly growling Litwicks. They were looking right at me with narrowed eyes and grinding teeth. Um... meep?

_"You..."_ The Litwicks spoke, even more sinister this time_. "You... here?"_

_**YOU WILL LEAVE THE BOY! YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING BY DOING THIS!**_

"Wait..." I said in no direction in particular as the voice was originating from inside my head. "I know you... from somewhere."

_"No... Gray... Push him away," _the Litwicks ordered. I arched an eyebrow. Whatever this voice in my head was, I was more willing to take my chances with it instead of the homicidal candles. _"He will only take you away from us again!"_

"Again?"

_Do not listen Black._ The voice had calmed down, which was better for my brain, but not so good for driving away these spooks. _Stay awake. And escape when I free you._

"Wait a second! Now I remember, you're that thing in my dreams!"

_"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO GRAY!" _The Litwicks screamed. The presence in my mind vanished, leaving me with the cold loneliness again. But with one difference this time.

My hands went limp, falling to the ground beside me. They were free from the tree. I had been released. Unfortunately, I was so numb that I didn't think I would ever be able to move. I couldn't feel a thing. Despite my newfound liberty to move, it was all I could do to keep my lungs breathing. Even that looked like it might stop any second now.

_"Gray, we knew you would never leave us."_

Yeah right. If I had a choice, I'd rather be inside the volcano on Cinnabar Island. At least it's warm there. But there was still a thin veil of hope. Something unstoppable. Something irreplaceable. Something that was always there, no matter how tense the situation. Tony's appetite.

Tony's luxury ball began to rock back and forth near my feet. After a few spasms, the sphere, burst open, drawing the attention of the Litwicks and myself. Tony popped out, yawning. A fireworks display of hope was shining bright inside my stomach. And Tony was the grand finale.

_"Hey Bro? I'm-" _Tony stopped mid-speech, staring vacantly at the Litwicks, who stared back at him with the same blank expression. Tony's face lit up and he waved. _"Hi new friends! Are you hungry too?"_

"TONY! THESE AREN'T FRIENDS!" I shouted. The Litwicks looked over at me with gaping faces, insulted by my comment. Whatever. Not like I cared. "ZEN HEADBUTT! FULL POWER!"

_"Huh? Okay Bro!"_ Tony jumped in the air and flapped his wings, levitating himself up a few feet. He proceeded to fire his body like a bullet at my waxy opponents, knocking them over like bowling pins. He landed in my lap and looked up at me with those cute eyes of his. Being a fire Pokémon, he was incredibly warm even in this chilliness. Which gave me an idea. _"How was that Bro?"_

"Perfect! C'mere buddy!" With all my strength, I wrapped my icy arms around Tony's tiny body, hugging my best friend tight. His warmth transferred into me rather slowly. My joints were locked up still. It would be a while before I could move effectively.

_"You won't leave us again, Gray!"_The Litwicks had gotten their second wind. They recovered fast. But they couldn't scare me anymore. It was time to fight back.

"For the record," I began as Tony and I locked eyes. I nodded at him and he smiled back, looking ready to roll. "The name's Black! Tony, use Confusion!"

Tony remained in my arms, warming me, but he was still able to look at the Litwicks as they closed in. Before they could do anything about it, a blue aura had appeared around each of them. Tony threw them back, each candle careening into a tree with a crunch. By now, I was able to walk. I could only go as fast as a zombie, but I could walk.

As the Litwicks cried out in pain, the fog barrier seemed to disperse. There was a hole in this white sheet of water vapours. And on the other side was the open elevator. It wasn't connected to any walls. But it was there. And that was good enough for me.

"YES!" I shouted, moving as fast as a snail towards my goal. I dragged my feet, each step feeling like an eternity. I trudged through the forest, my will to survive the only thing prevalent in my mind. But there was another holdup. The Golett from earlier stepped in front of the tear in the clouds. I glared at him but continued onwards. I wasn't stopping. "GET... OUT... OF... MY... WAY!"

_"Yes, master Gray."_

"Alright, you want to fight? Then let's- Wait what?" I spluttered as the Golett stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter the elevator. I didn't push my luck and stepped forward, collapsing inside the cabin, my weariness rearing its ugly head. I was so sleepy.

_"Anything else I may do for you, Master Gray?"_ The Golett asked. _"Food? Water? A gentle massage?"_

"Naw. M'good," I replied quickly just as the doors shut behind me. The lights in the elevator flickered, there was soft rumbling all around, and then it began to descend. The floor indicator counted down, my anxiety disappearing.

_"We won't let you go."_

Oh snap.

They were still around. Why couldn't they just leave me alone? The cold temperatures that the Litwicks generated were currently in combat with Tony's inner furnace inside my body. The elevator stopped, leaving me panic stricken.

"Bro?" Tony called me. "You okay?"

_"You will stay with us. We have missed you so much. We refuse to suffer any longer. Stay... Stay... Stay..."_

_**CEASE!**_ Oh thank God. The good voice was back. _**LEAVE THE BOY! YOU SHALL NO LONGER TORMENT HIM!**_

_"You?"_ The Litwicks grew angry again. _"Stop pestering us!"_

"What's going-?" I said sleepily as the two opposing voices argued.

_Black,_ the benevolent voice said soothingly to me as warmth instantly consumed the cold. _It is alright. You have escaped their power. I can repel them. You may sleep now._

"But, wait I-!" I didn't have a choice in the matter. The moment the voice coaxed me to sleep, the sensation of a blanket being draped across me came to me, wrapping me up in a warm cocoon. I instantly went limp, sinking into sleep.

Tony saw this, shrugged, and cuddled up to me, falling just as swiftly to slumber.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Four.**

**So, not much action here. But a bit of foreshadowing for what's to come and a little glimpse into younger Black. I hope you enjoyed it. Now that I'm finished it, I don't think it's as good as I wanted it to be, but it still did what I wanted it to.**

**If you're wondering where the childhood story goes, you'll have to wait 'tll a LONG way down the road.**

**Thanks for reading. Seeya later.**

**Next Chapter: Burgh's Bug Battalion**

**PS - I love alliteration.**

**PPS - I got a new poll on my profile. This one regards whether or not Joel will evolve. **


	25. Burgh's Bug Battalion

**Review Responses: Emi - You'll just have to wait. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Ashley Eon - Heh heh, thanks a million!**

**AngelicWings24 - Your questions shall be answered. Just not for a long time. Thanks for the awesome-tastic review!**

**spyhunter7 - You'll have to wait and see.**

**awyeah21 - Luigi's mansion. Now that's what Black needs. A vacuum to suck up ghost Pokémon with. It's a unique method of capture if nothing else.**

**Russetwing - Too late, Black just broke the switch. He accidentally sat on it after saving a cat from a tree that was on fire in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. He'll have to be epic on his own merits for the rest of the story. We're in trouble in that case.**

**Well, I can't argue with the Russetmeter. It's based on hard science.**

**Lemme show you Litwick's pokédex entires real quick:**

**_"Litwick shines a light that absorbs the life energy of people and Pokémon, which becomes the fuel that it burns."_**

_**"While shining a light and pretending to be a guide, it leeches off the life force of any who follow it."**_

**…How is that NOT terrifying?**

**Wow I've lost a lot of readers recently. Looking between last week and this week, nearly half the people who had this on Story Alert took it off. People, if I'm doing something wrong, you gotta tell me what it is so I can fix it.**

**Anyway, enough of me talking. Let's pass the baton onto Black, shall we?**

**Chapter 25: Burgh's Bug Battalion**

"I'm telling you, it really happened!" I screamed at Ellen as the male nurse at my bedside replaced the bandages on my arm. After I had passed out, the elevator apparently landed on the ground floor, my unconscious body still inside. I had been brought to the hospital because, believe it or not, my left arm had sustained a burn. Although the fire atop the heads of the Litwicks was cold, it was still fire and it burned like fire. It was a minor burn, but it still hurt like hell as the nurse changed my bandages. After having soaked it in cold water to stop the swelling, it had been bombarded with slathers of skin care products and now I was apparently on the road to recovery. My Pokémon, in their concerned state, were doing all they could for me. Unfortunately, I was too caught up in arguing with Ellen to notice Witt fluffing my pillow, Perry keeping me warm by lying on me, Tony attempting to pull the blankets over me with not much luck, Joel guarding my bag by sleeping on top of it, or Iva attempting to hand me a drink with her Vine Whip (though her face didn't reflect any sort of generosity). "The elevator dropped me off on a floor with a bunch of Litwicks who were trying to kill me! IT'S WHAT HAPPENED!"

"But Black," Ellen said, looking at me with patronizing eyes. "You also said that there was a forest on that floor. But, there isn't anything like that in The Battle Company. At least, not from what I saw."

"Ugh..." I groaned, lying back and letting my head hit the pillow, nearly missing Witt on the way down. Iva's vine placed the can of Lemonade in my hand. I took a swig, my hopes for getting her to believe me promptly dying. However, I dropped the Lemonade when my burned forearm was suddenly slapped. The sensation, needless to say, made me squeal the following. "AUUUUGH!"

"Geez, sorry about that," the man doing my bandages said as he backed away, his face flushing red with embarrassment. The doctor rushed in, pushing this incompetent aside. "I just started. I was just giving you a pat to help 'ya feel better. I didn't think-"

He may not have thought, but Iva sure did. She leapt at him from the other side of the bed like a starved Houndour, snarling up a storm. The man fell back in terror, collapsing into the open wardrobe. Before Iva could break his limbs, spine, and ability to sleep at night, I snatched her pokéball from my bedside table and recalled her, letting out a sigh soon afterward.

"Pardon him," said the doctor, gesturing to the guy who was currently struggling out of the wardrobe, trembling. The doctor seemed not to have noticed that my Snivy almost gave the same man a Leaf Blade to the face, but hey, less lawsuits for me I guess. "He was sure he could handle it. But apparently, he hasn't yet learned the concept of NOT slapping a burn!"

"Sorry..." the nurse apologized.

"Now then. Take these," the doctor said, handing me a case of pills. "Take two every eight hours. Come back immediately if the skin begins to swell again or if the pain increases."

"You got it. Thanks," I replied. I looked over at my bag that Joel was sleeping on. My jacket was draped across it and it had a gigantic hole in the arm which was edged in black scorch marks. I sighed. That was my favourite jacket.

* * *

><p>"Then how do you explain my burn?" I asked Ellen as we walked through Castelia, turning onto Gym Street. It was finally time for my third gym battle. I would have been incredibly pumped up for this were I not trying to convince Ellen that I was practically firewood for a Litwick camping trip.<p>

"Black, I believe you," Ellen said, obviously lying. I groaned in utter despair. What was wrong with me? I was willing to lie about talking to Pokémon but not this? This was even more crazy, but I was spouting it like a fountain. Maybe because I feared that those psychotic candles could return at any second and burn me into a frozen pile of ash. The Golett seemed okay though. Gah! What am I talking about? They were all trying to kill me! "Besides, you can't focus on that right now. You got a gym match!"

"B-B-But-" I gave up then and there. She was right, in any case. It wasn't like I could do anything about it. And it's not like I could ask Mister Strange-Yet-Powerful-Voice about it since I hadn't had a dream with it in it since the day I met Ellen. I sighed into my hands and sped up my pace so I wouldn't have to talk about it anymore.

The gym was up ahead. It was a gigantic glass dome that reflected any light that touched it. I couldn't look at it without feeling the need for sunglasses. I was, however, able to catch a glimpse of the Unova League symbol blazing across the top of the glass automatic doors. I turned round so that I wouldn't have to look at it as I forgot about my Litwick encounter for the moment and reminded myself of the whole reason I was in Castelia. The gym battle. My heart was pumping like it did the last couple times I went through with this. My mind was racing. It was finally time to give Burgh a taste of what I could do. And there was someone else who needed to see this match even more than my opponent did. Even though seeing wasn't exactly his... thing.

"Perry! Get out here!" I shouted, grabbing Perry's dusk ball and launching it. The sphere burst open, Perry emerging and turning around, leaping on me. I fell over like a brick wall, Perry sitting atop my chest and licking my face. "Yeah, yeah, I missed you too Perry. But listen up. We're going into a gym battle today."

_"Battle?"_ Perry asked, tilting his head. He then got excited again and started bouncing up and down on my cracking rib cage_. "Perry battle! Perry battle!"_

"No, not you buddy," I said and regretted it immediately. Perry hung his head, obviously disappointed. I sat up and gave his fur a scratch. He perked up pretty quick after that. "You're not ready for that yet. But what I do want you to do is listen to the battle and keep in mind how the others battle. So when you do battle, you can be ready for it."

Perry nodded. I just hoped his senses were good enough to pick up on what was happening. I hadn't exactly made a battle style with Perry yet, but I was determined to get one of the ground. I placed Perry on the ground and headed for the gym, my Deino trotting along behind me with Ellen bringing up the rear. The doors opened and we went inside.

The first thing I felt was the heat. Mostly because it irritated my burn. It felt like a greenhouse in there. It might have been due to the fact that Burgh was growing a forest in here. Apart from the dirt battlefield in the center of the place, this area was complete with trees that had hanging vines and leaves that had been recently watered. Shrubbery and ferns outlined the perimeter of the building, moss growing within their shade. One more thing. All these treees were infested with bug Pokémon. My eyes widened in absolute joy. I'd never seen so many bugs in one place. Sewaddles hung from the branches. Venipedes nested in the moss. Joltiks clung to vines. Swadloons attempted to blend in with the ferns. And the largest insect of all was also the only one standing in the open.

"Hey Burgh!" I said to this particular bug. He turned around, as he had been petting a Swadloon, and gave me a wave.

"Hellooo Black. Hellooo Ellen," he replied. "Ellen, my dear, that was a spectacular contest you had the other day. I was truly humbled to have born witness to that. You were radiant."

"Aw thanks Burgh." Ellen said, not embarrassed in the slightest. "It was nuthin'."

"Now it's my turn Burgh!" I declared, pointing at him. "And I officially challenge you to a gym match."

"Right! Of course!" Burgh responded. "Then I won't disappoint. Let's paint this elegant picture of gym leader against challenger together for all of these beautiful bug Pokémon!"

"Sounds good!" I rushed over to the battlefield, going to my designated position and facing the center of the field. Burgh stood on the other side with a kind smile. He may have weirded me out before, but now that we were battling, I had my mind on only one thing. No amount of eccentric activity could deter my focus. Well, unless you were Cilan, you couldn't. Ellen, meanwhile, stood on the sidelines next to Perry who had his nose facing me and had his tail wagging.

A man dressed like a gardener stepped up to the sidelines. Obviously, he was to be the referee. He adjusted his yellow sunhat and thrust his arms out to his sides, pointing his hands directly at Burgh and I.

"This gym battle between the Castelia Gym Leader, Burgh, and the challenger, Black of Nuvema Town will now begin! Each trainer will use three Pokémon. Only the challenger will be permitted to make substitutions!"

"What's good against bugs?" I asked to no one in particular. "Fire! I choose you Tony!"

I tossed Tony's luxury ball, letting the Victini come out and stretch his wings with a yawn. He looked at Burgh with his round shining eyes, warranting a squeal of amusement from the artist.

"Oh Black! That Victini of yours is cuter than a Sewaddle in a slipper! Perhaps it can inspire me as much as this Pokémon! Dwebble, this is your canvas to paint!" Burgh followed up my summoning of Tony by releasing a Pokémon of his I had already met. His Dwebble locked eyes with Tony, looking rather bored as Tony gave him a friendly wave.

"BEGIN!" The gardener declared.

**(Music Cue: Pokémon Black and White - Gym Leader Battle)**

"Tony! Start off with Fire Rocket!" I ordered. Tony jumped up, slathering his body in flames. His body became surrounded with the marine blue aura of Confusion, allowing him to shoot like a star towards Dwebble. Dwebble's weakness to fire had been removed due to his rock type attributes, but a fire attack would still do relatively potent damage.

"Dwebble! Protect!" Or at least, it would if Burgh wasn't ready for it. Dwebble escaped into the confines of his shell. Soon after, there was a flash of green light from his shell and then an emerald translucent barrier surrounded the rock. Tony charged into it with all his strength, but alas, he bounced off of the barrier as a ping pong ball would. He spun out, flopping onto the ground pathetically. He stood up, giving Dwebble his version of the evil eye. "Now use Rock Blast!"

Dwebble never left his shell. The rock rocked itself back and forth, until the opening had been tilted towards Tony. Tony and I stood there staring at it, wondering what Burgh could possibly be up to. We found out fast. There was a moment's silence, and then several spherical stones were shot like bullets at Tony. My buddy threw his arms in front of his face, but that wasn't enough to stop the attack from sending him flying several feet across the battlefield, landing on his pointed ears and scrunching them against the earth something awful.

"Tony! Let's try something else! Use Confusion! Lift him up a few feet!" Tony thrust his hands out in Dwebble's direction, sticking his tongue out in concentration. This time, Dwebble was slow to react and the blue aura appeared around him. Tony picked him off the ground, the bug emerging to find that he was currently levitating. He flailed around in a pointless effort to escape. I had him now. "Okay Tony! Now use Incinerate!"

Tony's ears glowed red hot as his mouth opened, swelling fire burning within. Tony released the attack which rammed right into Dwebble, knocking him out of the air and onto his shell, a solid 'CRACK' bursting from it. Sweet. We landed a blow. Despite that small milestone, Dwebble clambered up.

"Your strategy, though cunning, shall meet it's match against the skills I've hardened here in Castelia City! Dwebble! With your pure heart shining bright, use Dig!"

_"Right on,"_ Dwebble announced as he stuck his pincers into the dirt, burrowing beneath it much quicker than I could come up with a counter for it.

"Tony! Start listening for him!" I commanded. Tony nodded. The Victory Pokémon closed his eyes and focused on the sounds coming from beneath his feet. I listened to the beats of Dwebble's tunneling as well, hoping to triangulate his position before he struck. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.

"Dwebble, instead of emerging, shoot Rock Blast from the earth!" The smile on my face dropped as a faint rumbling echoed beneath us. Then, like a volcanic eruption, the projectiles surfaced directly under Tony. My buddy was volleyed into the air as the stones continued to spawn, knocking the little guy further upward each time.

"Ah! Tony!"

"Now Dwebble! Shell Smash and X-Scissor!" Apparently, I wasn't the only one who could pull off combos. Now Burgh was doing it too. Dwebble came out from underground, but that wasn't the only thing he left behind. The hermit removed himself from his home, bright white cracks appearing all over his body. These cracks grew more and more until his body was completely blanketed in shining white light. Suddenly, Dwebble's white aura was completely shed, replacing it with a translucent crimson one. Tony, still falling by this point, was helpless as Dwebble struck him straight to the chest with his pair of glimmering blue pincers. Tony was pummeled to the floor, landing with a clunk on his head. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

"That..." I spluttered, stunned. I took out my pokédex. "What... was that...?"

_**"Shell Smash. A move that sacrifices the user's defenses to increase speed and attack power."**_

"Huh?"

"Black's Victini is unable to battle!" The referee declared as Dwebble crawled back in his shell. I groaned in despair, recalling Tony to his pokéball. "The winner is Burgh's Dwebble!"

"Fine," I said, replacing Tony's luxury ball with Witt's heal ball. "If we're playing hard ball, then here's my pinch hitter! Witt, I choose you!"

Witt emerged with his evil grin already prepped and ready to roll. He stared right at the Dwebble as he stretched his arms out, itching for a fight. Dwebble didn't relent. I knew by now that type advantage was not a factor to a gym leader. Then again, who am I to judge in that department?

"Round two! Oshawott versus Dwebble! BEGIN!"

"Witt! Let's start it off with Water Gun!"

"Dwebble, dodge it with Dig!"

"Witt!" I shouted as Dwebble began to burrow beneath the terrain once again. Witt turned to me, still smirking no matter how fast Dwebble was escaping. We nodded at one another. "Burgh, that ain't gonna stop us! Here's a trick I learned in my first gym battle! Witt! Water Gun in the hole!"

Witt jumped high in the air, soaring right above Dwebble's escape tunnel. Before Burgh could initiate a possible evasion, my Oshawott blasted a jet of water into the shaft. There was a slight rumbling that gradually grew into an intense roar. The trembling could not only be heard, but felt as it continued beneath my wobbly feet. Soon after, a gieser of water, shot out of the earth, Dwebble struggling on top.

"'Kay Witt! Now cut the pressure and get under him!" Witt shut down his Water Gun and touched ground, quickly getting his bearings and dashing to the bug type's landing site. Dwebble was falling fast, rock-first. Looking at that scene, it gave me an idea. "Now use Razor Shell! And aim for the crack that Tony made!"

Witt locked onto his target and leapt at the descending Pokémon, his scalchop ablaze with watery energy. Dwebble never stood a chance. Witt swiped his sword, scoring a critical hit. He completely obliterated Dwebble's rocky home, the chunks of which fell faster than Dwebble himself. The pieces landed with multiple thuds, the largest thud coming from the insect that had originally built said stone hideaway. Witt landed gracefully, holding his scalchop above his head. Dwebble got up with a grumble, glowering at Witt.

"Ah! Dwebble!" Burgh shouted, genuinely surprised at what I had just pulled. However, the enthusiastic smile that was always painted on his face returned, placing me directly in a vat of nervous soup. "Such an inspiring battle! Your Oshawott's pure heart is glimmering radiantly! But when it comes to the purity of heart, I'm afraid my Dwebble shall always shine brighter! Shell Smash and X-Scissor!"

"Aw geez! Witt use-!" I didn't manage to get my defensive ploy out before Burgh dealt the destructive combo again. Dwebble, shell glittering crimson, struck Witt on the forehead using his patented X-scissor, throwing the otter into a roll. My pal stood up with a massive bruise on his head. He glared at Dwebble, flinching from the pain he had just endured. "We're not out of this yet! Witt! Give it a Water Pulse!"

"Don't give them leeway! Dwebble! Use X-Scissor!" The Water Pulse being built up between Witt's tiny arms was not being formed fast enough. Dwebble struck first, becoming nothing but an orange blur as he moved. Fortunately, being so fast, he didn't aim properly. Instead of slicing at Witt, he had hit the incomplete Water Pulse. Before Witt could get out of the way, the sphere exploded, sending both parties flying towards their trainers. The two careened into the earth, collapsing. Only one of them was getting up from an attack that destructive. And I was relieved with the bittersweet result.

"The gym leader's Dwebble is unable to battle!" The referee decreed as Witt sat up, shaking his head of the dirt that had gathered in his fur. I wiped the sweat from my brow. For a second, I was concerned that Burgh had handed me another defeat. Of course, the fact remained that Witt had been brutally damaged (no matter how much his smirk said otherwise). And Burgh still had two options left who were both at full power. "Which means Black's Oshawott is the winner!"

"Oh dear!" Burgh said, shrugging and shaking his head. He recalled the fainted Dwebble to his pokéball, hugging it directly afterwards. I grimaced. Did he think that Dwebble could feel that embrace in the pokéball? "Dwebble, you were absolutely spectacular! I hope you can feel the love that I feel for you and your effort inside your metallic home!" Huh, guess he did. He put the sphere away, taking out another just as swiftly. "Black, I do hope that this passionate battle between our Pokémon becomes an even more brilliant work of art! And to make sure that happens, I will need to rely on a wheel of inspiration that never stops turning! So, without further ado, I choose Whirlipede!"

His pokéball soared high, glistening in the sunlight before bursting wide open. What emerged... made me and Witt jump. I had to step back a couple feet while blinking confusedly in unison with Witt. We looked at each other, then back at the 'Whirlipede', then back at each other, and finally back at the Whirlipede. It was another centipede, like Venipede, only this one was massive and it looked to be permanently rolled into a wheel form. It's golden glaring eyes were located in the center on either side of itself, spikes sticking out from its segmented body. As I stared at this thing, there was only a single question on my mind. How did it eat? I grabbed my pokédex, hoping that could provide some insight.

_**"Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon and the evolved form of Venipede. Whirlipede can spin its hard-shelled body like a tire to smash into opponents."**_

"Round three! Whirlipede versus Oshawott! Begin!"

"Whirlipede! Dazzle them with your Steamroller!" The spikes on Whirlipede's body suddenly lit up at the tips, drawing my attention to how sharp these things were for the first time. And then the nightmare began. My hearing was under attack as Whirlipede began to spin. The sound he made was unbearable. The feedback from a microphone sounded like the voice of an angel compared to the grinding of Whirlipede's spikes against the earth. That was the least of my worries though. The curlipede's pokédex entry was proved to be correct as it dashed towards Witt, the otter's grin fading just as he was hit with the force of a freight train by the rolling bug Pokémon. He landed on the ground sliding, ending up near my feet. He got up, albeit struggling, but he got up nonetheless. I clenched my teeth. That thing continued to roll around like a remote control car, easily gliding back into his place before Burgh. The message sunk in. I needed to stop that thing from rolling. And to do that, I'd have to take another tip from my first gym battle. Specifically, from a guy named Cress.

"Witt! Let's stop this thing! Use Water Gun straight up!" Witt didn't question the logic, he just did it. It showed just how much he trusted my judgement as he tilted his head upwards, his cheeks becoming bloated a second before the spout of water shot from his mouth. It rose high, almost reaching the roof before the water lost velocity, raining down upon the battlefield. Burgh raised his eyebrows, my ploy seeming to sink into his mind. My clothes were getting slightly wet from the drizzle, but I didn't care. Because the field was also getting doused. I smirked. A moist terrain meant that rolling around would cause quite a bit of slipping.

However, to my horror, Burgh simply grinned broadly. Gulp.

"Ha ha! Now that's a counter-strategy!" Burgh cried out, clasping his hands together. "Using Water Gun to create an unstable playing field for my Pokémon, essentially putting yourself at an advantage. It's quite innovative."

"Uh... thanks," I said as sweat congregated at my brow. I dreaded what he was gonna say next. It could only be terrible news. I knew these flamboyant types by now.

"However!" Here it came. "It will also be rather ineffective! Steamroller once more!"

"WHAT? BUT-?" My words were as effective as Witt was in stopping the incoming assault. Whirlipede got rolling again, spinning right into the slippery field... and continuing to move forward. Somehow, he was even faster. "AH! WITT! DODGE-!"

Too late. The otter could do nothing more than watch as the incoming insect charged into him, sending him flying right towards me. I caught him in my arms, thankfully. But I gasped in horror when I saw the result. He had fainted.

"Wh-What?" I spluttered. I glanced over at Ellen. She was gaping just as much as I was. "How..."

"You see, Whirlipede uses its spikes to create traction." Burgh replied to my confusion, Whirlipede once again returning to his original placement, leaving me to contemplate how much I miscalculated. "It creates the effect that a soccer player would use his or her cleats for. No amount of moisture can stop my Whirlipede from rolling."

"Aw crud," I seethed through gritted teeth. Frustration boiled inside my lungs. This was bad. Two options made themselves clear in my mind. As far as I could see it, neither were desirable. On the one hand, I could send Joel out. He wouldn't be at a type disadvantage, but he was too small. There was no way he could ever stop Whirlipede unless he completely incapacitated him with Electro Web. Considering that the spikes were sharp enough to create precise traction, snapping Electro Web apart would be an easy task. Of course, that left me with option two which was no more preferable. Complete type disadvantage. In other words, I would be sending Iva out. Oh, and Perry? Yeah, I'd send him out into battle... if I was a sadistic MORON. I took a deep breath, calling Witt back into his pokéball. I looked Burgh in the eyes as I got my final gambit ready. It was do or die.

"Okay," I said, looking down at my pokéball selection. There was no turning back. I threw it with all my might. "You've never let me down before! So I need you now!"

Iva glared her usual armory of daggers at Whirlipede. He was more than happy to return the favor. Though it looked to me like he was stuck that way anyway.

"Round four! Whirlipede versus Snivy! BEGIN!"

"Whirlipede! Steamroller!"

"Iva! Stop him with a Leaf Tornado!" I ordered, Iva following it to the letter. She jumped, twirling mid-air. Her Leaf Tornado formed and she couldn't have been more accurate. Whirlipede slowed down, the intense winds impeding him incredibly. I pumped a fist in the air. We were finally mounting a comeback!

… Or so I thought. The Leaf Tornado was only a temporary solution. Whirlipede pumped up the gas, overcoming his disadvantage seconds after we had gained it. Iva gasped as did I as Whirlipede plowed right into her, knocking her into the softened dirt. She clambered to her feet, not willing to let this battle go. But she could hardly even do that. Whirlipede was too quick. He tackled her at high speeds once more, careening her onto her head.

"I-I-Iva! Come on! I know you can-" Maybe she couldn't. The curlipede Pokémon's momentum had dramatically increased. I wondered why... until I facepalmed.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! How could I be so incompetent? This was my own damn fault. I had made the entire battlefield even more accessible due to my attempt to immobilize this guy. And that left me no chance to counterattack. I could only watch as Whirlipede soared by, more and more, colliding with Iva, more and more. She grunted each time, the pain becoming increasingly loud in her voice. I stood stock still as helplessness clutched my bones, leaving me breathless. Iva was getting absolutely pummeled. And it was all my fault.

_"Ahh!" _Iva cried out, landing in a nasty heap next to me.

"That's enough, Whirlipede!" My heart stopped as Burgh said this. His Pokémon obeyed, ceasing his relentless rampage. I hung my head. The tension released itself inside my stomach.

_"Urk!" _I looked up as Iva snarled. My insides flipped around incessantly. These Pokémon of mine never stopped amazing me. I smiled sadly at Iva's attempt to push herself off the ground, her leafy arms soaking up the water in the ground below her. She was breathing hard, her effort radiating from her.

I sighed and placed my hands around her. She immediately relaxed. I picked her up to eye level, my concerned eyes meeting her confused ones. I kept my smile up as I shook my head. She tilted hers at me, giving me a look that seemed to ask me why I was doing this.

"S'okay Iva." I said, attempting to comfort her. She wasn't even trying to fight against my grip. Getting struck multiple times by a rampant Whirlipede will do that to you. She turned her head away from me. Was that a little...shame I saw in her? "Hey, don't worry about it. I know how tough you really are. You're forgetting that I know from experience."

She grinned slightly at that. If there was one thing I was proud of that day, it was that I did actually manage to console her. That, though, was the sole achievement I made before the grass snake fainted in my hands. I brought her next my chest, cradling her in my arms. Depression quickly overtook me as my friend slept. There was no way of overturning it.

I just lost.

"Bravo Black! Bravo!" Burgh cheered, applauding as he approached me. The instrument of my destruction, his Whirlipede, accompanying him. I tried keeping a straight face in the face of my opponent. Being graceful in defeat was something new I was trying out. Burgh thrust his hand out for me to shake. I took it gratefully. "It was an honor battling such an enthusiastic and smart trainer. I do hope we can do it again sometime."

"Yeah. You bet!" I replied, keeping my tone moderate (with a concerted amount of effort). "I'll be back to rematch you when I... when I get stronger."

"I look forward to it."

"Me too. Thanks a lot for battling with me today, Burgh. I gotta go now." I nodded towards Iva. Burgh smiled, completely understanding. I bolted towards the gym doors, right past Ellen. Perry was right on my tail. The trotting of his feet could be heard next to my heels. I left the gym in a hurry, dashing towards the Pokémon Center as fast as my depressed feet would carry me.

The sensation of defeat stabbed at my heart.

* * *

><p>"Black?" Ellen's voice beckoned from behind the door of my room at the Pokémon Center. "You in there?"<p>

"Yep, come in!" I responded as I looked up from what I was reading. The door creaked open, Ellen emerging into the well lit room. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. I suppose she expected me to be cowering in the corner, depression eating away at my soul. Quite on the contrary, I was lying in bed with a smile on my face as I waited for my other Pokémon to heal. In the meantime, I had released Joel and Perry from their pokéballs. Perry had curled up contentedly under my arm, snuggling up affectionately to me every few minutes as he slept. Joel had also found a comfortable place to sleep right on top of Perry. The dragon didn't seem to mind as the electric insect snoozed away on his head. As for myself, I was reading a rather important slip of paper. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Ellen said awkwardly, her face going red. "I was just... making sure you were okay is all."

"No worries. I'm cool. There's no point in sulking. So what if I lost today? That's just a reason to get stronger. Which is all for the best."

"Um... right. So... why aren't you doing that now? No offence, but I don't think you landed a hit on Burgh's Whirlipede."

"Well for one thing, most of my Pokémon are in intensive care. And secondly, I have a big enough opportunity to get stronger later on."

"Later on? What're you talkin' about?"

"Elementary, my dear Ellen," I boasted, turning the piece of paper around so she could glance at it. She gave my a smile and the thumbs up when she saw what it was.

"Sounds awesome. I almost forgot about that."

"Heh. Not me. As soon as I use Axel's tournament to get tougher, I'll definitely be able to beat Burgh!"

**End of Chapter Twenty-Five.**

**Seriously guys, please let me know if my writing has changed for the worse in some way. I dunno, I just feel less... happy with my work every time I release a chapter. I might be worrying too much...**

**Seeya guys...**

**In the next chapter, old and new rivals unite in Castelia. It's an all-out brawl in the first round of the tournament on Battle Spire Isle!**

**Next Chapter: Rival Reunion Tournament! Round One Begin!**

**PS - I apologize if I got the treatment for a burn wrong. I'm not a doctor, as you can plainly tell. **

**PPS - Yeah, I know it's short. Please don't hate me...**


	26. Rival Reunion! Round One Begin!

***WARNING* The following chapter contains many, many, MANY OC's. If I portray yours wrongly in any way, be sure to let me know so that I may fix it in future chapters. **

**Okay, so I took a while again. First of all, sorry. Second of all, had a bit of a relapse in the depression department and I'm not quite out of it yet. Third of all, I've recently written and directed my own courtroom murder-mystery spoof play. It's finished being performed and it was probably the most stressful experience of my life. I'll have more time for uploads. I apologize again, but that play was time-consuming. Almost forgot I wrote fanfiction for a while. **

**Review Responses: Capito Celcior – Yeah, I did put a little too much in, didn't I? Whoops. I do have a reason for the child backstory which shall, of course, be explained. Hmm. I said that the reason Black can talk to Pok****émon was because they trust them? Um… I'm gonna have to find where I said that, because that's not it. Thanks for the support!**

**Emi – Thank yooooooou!**

**ARandomDay – Heh heh, the reason for that is: I love musicals.**

**Russetwing – What 4****th**** wall? Oh geez, don't even remind me of that Pokémon Adventures chapter. That image of a zombie Psyduck is forever burned into my nightmares. The Litwick fear shall be explained… though I can't say it'll be utterly terrifying as it appears I struggle with writing anything other than comedy that isn't really that funny. I like Durant. Though they're difficult to grind against when on Victory Road. That's the extent my fear goes with them though. Oh well. The Pokémon that scares me the most is probably Chandelure since it burns your soul (literally, it says it in the pokédex). Yeah, Burgh is cool. Elesa is awesome. And Clay's gotta be my second favourite Unova leader simply for the hat. Stetsons are, in fact, cool. **

**Alwayssearching2012 – Hoenn was awesome. And I just hated Sinnoh. If not for Paul, I would never have watched it all the way through. Yes, I actually like Paul. Awesome rival in a terrible region arc. Thank you for your support. **

**LugiaLegendz2244 – That's true. Thanks.**

**AngelicWings24 – Of course. Sues / Stus are bland and boring. Thanks for noticing. A Pokémon action scene should be as epic as the series that spawned it. That's what I believe. Thanks for that last comment. It means so much and it makes it all worthwhile! Seriously, thank you!**

**AngelicWings24 (2****nd**** Review) – SORRY!**

**The Observer 00 – Okay. Obviously I should never just conclude my medical research with a quick google search when I have you as a reader. Yes, I realize I put too much into it the moment I released Chapter 24. Oh well, the Alicia mystery, at any rate, shall be solved soon, so that's one down, a million to go.**

**Spyhunter7 – Yep. Songs'll be coming back soon. Difficult to find ones that fit besides the generic "let's fight" songs. **

**Eleni – And what if I don't want to? …Wait…**

**Harison86 – Thank you!**

**UR PAL – He might. He might not. Depends where I go with this.**

**4 – Congrats! You win a virtual cookie for guessing correctly! The highest honor I can bestow.**

**Chapter 26: Rival Reunion Tournament! Round One Begin!**

"Hey Black! There it is!" Ellen declared, pointing across Prime Pier as we approached it. We stepped onto the port, marvelling at the grandiose sight before us. Tony hung off my shoulder, not quite as impressed as we were with the gigantic gold-coloured ferry sitting on the wharf, waiting to take Ellen and I to the competition of the century. The early morning sun rose high above the ship, the light sparkling off its steel frame. As we strolled forward, I noticed that there was no way onto the boat as of yet. Instead, there was only a pair of booths on the edge of the port, a man and a woman in blue uniforms manning each respectively. We approached the nearest one, the woman smiling at us as we did so.

"Hi there," she said. "Are you two tournament participants?"

"Yep, that's us, Black and Ellen." I replied, looking over my shoulders for other people. "Um… are we the only ones here?"

"Yes. You are the first two to arrive. Now please, if you would show me your invitations?"

"Oh, sure." Ellen and I reached into our bags, groping around for the small scarlet envelopes. Upon feeling the strong paper slide beneath my fingertips, I yanked it out and handed it off to the attendant. Ellen followed suit a couple of seconds later. The woman sliced them open with a pocket knife, briefly scanning the pages before turning them over and reaching beneath the booth. She returned with a pair of badges with our names on them.

"Here you are. Wear these at all times," she instructed as Ellen and I clipped them onto our clothes. The woman said no more about it. Whatever.

"So," I began, "do you know how many people are in this thing?"

"Thirty-two invitations have been issued to thirty-two talented trainers. There will be five rounds, each with its own unique style of battle. Round one will be one-on-one sudden death matches. Each trainer uses only one Pokémon. The second round will be a double battle in which only two Pokémon will be used. The third will be a triple battle. The fourth will be a rotation battle. And lastly, the fifth round will be conducted in a single battle where each trainer uses three Pokémon." She grabbed something under the booth again, coming back with a pair of forms. "Now please, if you would, fill these out to the best of your ability."

I was about to ask another question, but at that time, there was the sound of multiple footsteps rushing up to our location from behind me. I turned around, my stomach dropping straight into my feet when I saw who it was.

"There… hoof… I won," said the boy who I had fought on my way to Nacrene City, Zack, completely out of breath. I didn't quite understand the meaning of his words until I looked at who he had been racing with.

"Dream on… loser," said Mikey, also breathing hard. Her Pikachu was hanging onto her head, looking rather energized as well. The two glared and growled at one another, obviously having just raced each other to the docks. Zack smirked though and immediately marched past me towards the registration booth. He slammed his invitation on the counter, giving the receptionist a nasty scare.

"Name's Zack! But you can call me the winner of this here tournament!" Zack boasted. That didn't last long as Mikey was right behind him to pull his ear, yanking him out of the way screaming. "OW! OW! OW! What was that for?"

"You got in my way!" Mikey replied, handing her invitation the woman far more pleasantly. "Mikey's the name."

"Y-Yes, of course. I'll register the both of you right now," the woman responded, stuttering. "Here take these badges. And keep them on at all times."

"You got it," Zack said, pinning it to his vest. Mikey did the same, albeit with far less fiddling.

"Hey Mikey!" Ellen greeted her rival with a friendly wave. I sighed. There was really no need to call their attention, Ellen.

"Huh?" Mikey and Zack blurted out in unison, their brows furrowing when they saw who had called. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah! Hi Mikey! And you too… buddy."

"My name is not BUDDY! It's Zack!" Zack sneered at Ellen before shifting his focus back to me. "I got a bone to pick with you!"

"Bone to pick? What?" I spluttered, holding my hands up like a gun was being pointed at me.

"Yeah, we tied last time! No one ties with me! Not even the Castelia City Gym Leader!"

"Uh huh, that's great and all but… WAIT WHAT? YOU BEAT BURGH?" I shouted, dumbfounded. The guy beat me to it? No way!

"Utterly! Got the badge to prove it!" Zack boasted, taking his badge case out and opening it. I gulped and widened my eyes, feeling quite distraught. He had three badges and I was still wading in the little league with two. I felt humiliated as he gave me a sleazy grin. "What's the matter? Purrloin got your tongue?"

"N-NO!" I shot back, folding my arms and facing away from him. "I-I was just thinking about… about… something else. Besides, I can take you any day!"

"Y'think so y'little twit?" My eyes widened again. This time, it wasn't because my ego was in question. It was because of that maniacal voice that had just rammed itself into my eardrums like a rabid rhinoceros. Before I could confirm the fear that was currently drenching me entirely, someone did it for me. And it was clear who when a hand grabbed the scruff of my shirt and lifted me up one-handed, bringing me face to face with a huffing Gorilla whose grip choked my very spirit. My lip quivered as I stared right into his sunglasses, my lunch suddenly feeling like coming back up to visit.

"Hey there kid," said Yuki as he raised his fist in my face. I was speechless. All I could think of was how bad my black eye was going to hurt. "Didja miss me?"

"Uhhh… uhh-"

"I knew you did. 'Cause I missed you. In fact, you little piece of insignificant crap, I got you a little gift. It's called your death. I hope you enjoy it."

Meepity meep meep.

"Now then, I think it's time I paid you back for that little stunt you pulled back at the river." Terror slid itself directly into my digestive tract as I swallowed again. Oh crap, oh crap, oh craaap. "You ready? If not, then too bad, 'CAUSE IT'S HAPPENING EITHER WAY!"

I could feel his grip tighten around my jacket as the sweat dripping off my brow cascaded onto his clenched fist. I felt death's cold presence sweeping up behind me. This was it. Goodbye cruel, cruel, CRUEL, world!

Except, it wasn't goodbye. In fact, there was a hand waving me hello. And it had just stuck itself right in between me and Yuki. I turned my head and instantaneously wished I had no bones so that I may have slipped out of that situation. Perfect. I was stuck between a psychopath and a sociopath. Try and guess which one was which. I dare you.

"Excusez-moi, monsieur!" Apollo Ruanea said as he held his hand out between me and Yuki. Yuki's glowering eyes shifted to the magician, a bit of relief coming to me from the reassurance that his laser vision was no longer glued to me. Apollo, on the other hand, couldn't look more indifferent to Yuki's stink eye. He just stood there, sniffing a rose he had produced from his sleeve. "But do you think you are taking zis un peu too far?"

"WHO ASKED YOU?" Yuki roared, throwing me to the ground and knocking the wind right out of me. I was, however, able to see what occurred after he did so. He curled his hand into a fist, throwing all his strength into a punch headed Apollo's way. Apollo was a lot quicker than I would have been. He tilted his head to the right and, before the fist had struck the air where his head just was, he stuck the rose in the way. Yuki's arm thrust across the stem of the rose, Yuki letting out a pained grunt as his assault finished. I gulped when I saw that the thorns of the rose had given his forearm a nasty cut, blood dripping onto the pier. My face began twitching as fear boiled up my throat. Oh boy, Apollo could not have realized what he just did there. Otherwise he wouldn't have done it. As I crawled away from Yuki and towards the dumbfounded Ellen, Mikey, and Zack, I contemplated just how much angrier Yuki could get before he decided to kill us all. Wasn't much.

"Congratulations… You…" Yuki seethed through clenched teeth, "are a dead man, whoever you are. Hope you feel good about yourself." Yuki reached into his jacket pocket, his hand emerging with a pokéball. He was about to toss it in the air to release another creature who would probably make a guest appearance in my nightmares, but, once again, Apollo had a counter strike in mind. He knocked the pokéball out of Yuki's hand and into his own. Before Yuki could react, Apollo did… this.

"Keep your eye on zee ball," Apollo said as he closed his hand around the pokéball, hiding it from view. When he opened his clasped hand, there was an explosion of rose petals, the pokéball having disappeared. The petals dropped near Yuki's shoes. The heaving rhino began stamping the scarlet petals out. Us bystanders slowly backed away. This could only end badly.

"I WILL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! IF YOU DON'T-!"

"Relax, monsieur. Zee ball is ici!" Apollo reached behind Yuki's ear, the pokéball returning along with his hand. He gently tossed it at Yuki who caught it and clenched it tight in his palm. "There we are, a bit of magic to take zee edge of zee situation. No need to be so threatening monsieur."

That might've worked. With anyone except Yuki. The sadist confirmed this fact by promptly punching Apollo in his kindly smiling face. The magician keeled over, holding his face as he attempted to get up. Yuki wouldn't have it. He stomped on Apollo's stomach, resulting in a moan of pain from him (and an "oh, that had to hurt" from Zack).

"YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY NOW? HUH Y'LITTLE-?"

"Hold it right there!" People interrupting Yuki seemed to be the theme of today. As long as Yuki wasn't shouting, I was quite alright, so that was just perfect for me. We all turned to where the voice had originated, the opposite side of the pier, all of us blinking in confusion when we saw a fuming red-headed girl stomping towards Yuki in a mad rampage. The mere fact that she was approaching _Yuki _of all people in this way boggled the mind, but that wasn't the only bizarre thing about her.

She looked and dressed almost exactly like Apollo. She wore an expensive suit with torn sleeves, contrasting her white gloves and emerald blue bowtie. She had a cape on that was held up at her neck by a dark scarlet broche. Unlike Apollo though, her scarlet ponytail wasn't nearly as long, only draping down to her shoulder blades. Her tanned face was unblemished and featured two emerald eyes that were currently narrowed in Yuki's direction. In addition, there was a sapphire silk hat sitting atop her head.

"What are you doing?" she asked Yuki, not flinching when he turned his piercing eyes on her. Her tone was steady as she marched up to him, absolutely fuming. "I suggest you stop kicking my brother right now before I start kicking you! And you won't like my target!"

"This your brother?" Yuki asked rhetorically, stomping on Apollo again as his own form of gesturing towards the magician. I think I heard a bone cracking that time. "Then maybe you can tell him to stay out of my business where he doesn't belong!"

"Oh Arceus, what did you do this time?" The new face asked Apollo. Her brother simply let out a groan of pain. The sister reached into her pocket, sighing disappointingly. Her hand returned clasping a small golden piece of metal. I saw Yuki's eyes become the size of dinner plates, a spark of greed emanating from him. "Here. It's a Nugget. It's worth five thousand pokédollars. I'll trade it for the living body of my brother."

There was no hesitation from Yuki. He stepped over Apollo's quivering form, approaching his prize and snatching it up quite quickly. A smug grin painted itself across his face as he stuffed it hastily into his pocket. I was afraid he was gonna come back over to me, but it appeared he was a little distracted by his sudden gain in income. Too content to deal with me, he simply stood by the boat and crossed his arms, waiting for the competition to begin.

The girl rolled her eyes as he moved away. She proceeded towards her brother, helping him to his shaky feet. Even when he got up, he was forced to use his sister for support, draping his arm over her shoulders.

"You just love doing this to me, don't you?" she asked, sighing again in disappointment.

"Eh… je… suis… sorry," he replied.

"Oh for the love of- Are you still doing that fake accent?"

"Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit? Fake accent?" Apollo answered rather quickly and dismissively. I grumbled. I knew there was something weird about that voice of his. "Vhat are you doing 'ere, Mila?"

"I," Mila began, reaching into her pockets once again. This time, she pulled out a very familiar ruby red envelope, "am here for our buddy Axel's tournament. And from the fact that you're here causing trouble as usual, I can deduce that you are too."

"But of… ugh… course," Apollo responded with shallow breaths, coughing slightly afterward. He clutched his stomach, cringing in pain. "Do you think Axel would do zis without moi? Impossible!"

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

I looked over at Ellen. She shrugged. Great, she was just as clueless about the Ruanea family as I was. I hate magic. Mikey and Zack had the right idea in ignoring the two altogether, instead taking the time to start arguing about which of them was about to win the upcoming tournament. Oh well, at least they weren't at the throats of Ellen and myself as they usually were. Currently, they were seeing who was more properly skilled at rock-paper-scissors. I didn't know the logic behind that, but I was just happy that they were having fun. Either that, or they were almost about to kill each other. I suppose it didn't really matter, so long as they were out of my hair. And as for Yuki, he was currently distracted with an ominous grin spread across his face, his eyes not moving from that Nugget. Phew, he was distracted.

"Um… excuse me." I nearly jumped out of my shoes when I heard that voice creep into my ear from behind me. I spun around, nearly falling backward out of fear that it was Yuki about to bash my face in like a tin can. But after steadying myself (and realizing that Yuki would never be so polite as to say, "excuse me") I saw that this was not, in fact, a sadistic killer out for my head. Instead, it was a girl. Maybe she was sadistic, I dunno, but she sure didn't look it with her green eyes looking up at me rather sweetly. Her shoulder-length wavy blond hair and side fringe were sitting just above a tanned smiling face. She was a tad shorter than me, but still somehow managed to have a tougher aura than myself. Her clothes consisted of skinny jeans leading to a pair of combat boots strapped tight on her feet. A black leather jacket was worn around her shoulders, covering an open plaid shirt which also covered a white tank top. The girl looked at me with a strange curiosity, like if she knew that she asked a question, I would definitely have the answer.

"Y-Yeah?" I replied, still a bit startled.

"Is this the place for the tournament?"

"Yeah."

"Are you in the tournament?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah. Why-?"

"Where do I register?"

I didn't answer verbally that time. I just pointed behind me to the reception booth. She nodded in gratitude and strode past me, simultaneously removing her invitation from her pocket. She placed it on the booth, the woman looking rather pleased to see someone who wasn't crazy asking to be registered. The woman gave the new girl a smile and handed her the same form that she had given us. Speaking of which, my form was still clutched in my hand. The section underneath my fingertips was a little damp from my sweat, but it was far from illegible. It didn't seem complicated. There was a space for my name and then a section that read like so:

Pokémon Species:

Nickname of Pokémon (if applicable):

Pokémon Species:

Nickname of Pokémon (if applicable):

Pokémon Species:

Nickname of Pokémon (if applicable):

I grinned. This was easy enough. So I was only allowed three Pokémon? Tough decision. I wanted them all to fight. No one should be left out of this. But I began filling it out anyway. But not before a tug on the ear from Tony. I kept my smile on and rolled my eyes. Of course I'd be using Tony. I put him down on the ground first and then reached into my bag and handed him a can of food which he gobbled down gratefully. I then got a pen from my bag and immediately wrote Tony's name in the first slot. I stood there, deep in thought for a moment, until I wrote my second Pokémon down: Witt. Now, who would be up third?

"Ooh, nice choice!" People really need to stop coming up from behind me. I jumped out of my socks again, turning around to find that the girl who had just registered had just been looking over my shoulder, at my choices. She stood there, blinking in confusion at my creeped out expression.

"Mind not sneaking up on me please?" I said, nearly stumbling into the booth. She widened her eyes as her face turned hot pink. She smiled and laughed awkwardly.

"No, no, sorry. I just wanted to see what kind of Pokémon you had. L-Let's not get all tense." The girl thrust her hand towards me, expecting me to shake it. I did, albeit hesitantly. "Sorry. Name's Vanessa. But everyone just calls me Nessie."

"Black, but everyone calls me… Black."

"And I'm Ellen! Nice to mee'cha Vanessa!" Ellen declared as she darted for Nessie's free hand and shaking it in her usual vigorous manner. Nessie let go of my hand as she was sent into an Ellen handshake seizure. She attempted to tear her hand from Ellen's grip but my partner was too wrapped up in her greeting to notice.

"Um… h-hi. You can call me Ness-"

"So Vanessa," Ellen interrupted her, continuing to shake her hand. "How'd you meet Axel?"

I smirked. Ellen would be occupied for the next few minutes, leaving me to look around at the new faces that had been popping up along the port. There were trainers of all sizes. From children to veterans, the participants began to show up through the woodwork. I stared hard between the crowds of people, hoping to locate White in all this mess. She was the trainer to beat as far as I was concerned.

But when I spotted my next familiar face in the masses, it wasn't White. Instead, the happy face sat under an emerald bandana. My stomach gurgled in anxiety. There was a trainer who I thought might be just as tough to beat as Yuki in this tournament.

May was here. And she wasn't alone either. She seemed to be talking to a boy of her height with green hair, a Pokémon with bouquets of flowers for arms and a body that was covered in a cloak of leaves. And she seemed to have white hair, despite clearly being a plant. I took out my pokédex, looking for info.

"_**Roserade, the Bouquet Pokémon. Roserade is the evolved form of Roselia. It lures enemies with its sweet aroma, and attacks with dancer-like elegance."**_

"Cool. A Roserade? Never seen that before." I was about to approach them, when all of a sudden, yet another voice that I knew all too well. I didn't know whether to be happy or to cringe in utter terror. Listening to this voice brought back memories, both ugly and funny. And for a moment, I wished it wasn't him.

"Well- if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, I'd swear that was you Black!" I spun around for about the tenth time that day, my eyes widening when I saw Cilan waving at me as he broke through the crowd. I waved back awkwardly, my heart plopping into my stomach. What was he doing here? Isn't a gym leader supposed to stay in the town they're based in? I didn't get it. But what I didn't get more was that the chef seemed to be joined by two traveling companions of his own. One was a boy, with clothes that looked almost similar to mine. Apart from the fact that the colours on his hat from front to back were reversed and his jacket having mostly white instead of blue shades, we _were _dressed the same way. I'd be more freaked out if he had brown hair instead of black hair and a Pikachu on his shoulder instead of a Victini. The other person with Cilan was a girl of African descent with poofy purple hair that nearly reached ankles before she had tied it with a golden braid. She wore a simple linen poncho that was accented at the waste with a bright pink silk ribbon. She also wore tight white pants that did not quite reach her white and pink sandals.

"H-Hey Cilan!" I called back as the Maitre D walked up to me with a smile on his face. We exchanged a friendly handshake (no interruption from Ellen this time as she was preoccupied with her one-sided conversation with Nessie).

"Who's this Cilan?" The girl with the purple hair asked as a lizard Pokémon with tusks popped out of her hair like a jack-in-the-box. I jumped again. Oh dear. It was gonna be one of _these _days wasn't it? My pokédex was already at the ready.

"_**Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out."**_

"This is Black. A challenger from the Striaton Gym. I can't believe the coincidence! And how are you doing Tony?" Cilan asked Tony, bringing his face in close to my Victini. The Victory Pokémon simply blinked at him just before he waved with a sweet smile on his face.

"_Hi Pansage-head!" _It took a concerted amount of effort not to laugh there. But when I took a firm long look at Cilan's hair, it became increasingly difficult. _"Do you have food for me?"_

"Ha ha, that's great!" Cilan replied, not understanding him in the least. He then spun on his heel snapping his fingers as he came out of his pirouette. Oh no. I knew what was coming. I tried to cover my ears in time but-

"**It's tasting time!" **

"I can see from my vantage point that a bond as pure as a boiled water shall become the nourishment for a stew that combines all the love, trust, and friendship that you and your Victini have no doubt been developing. The dish shall be so grand that it covers the appetiser, the main course, and possibly dessert!"

"Oh boy, not this again," the purple-haired girl sighed. I could see why. If she was _traveling _with this guy, it was no wonder she was annoyed. I had my hands full with Ellen and she didn't even have a catch phrase.

"Anyways…" I said, not caring that Cilan appeared to want to say more. I shook the bewildered girl's hand, hoping from her reaction that she was a little more down to earth than her gym leader friend. "Like CIlan said, I'm Black. Nice to meet you. And who're you guys?"

"Hey, nice to meet you too. I'm Iris! And this is my partner Axew!" Iris said as the dragon Pokémon gave me a friendly wave.

"Yeah!" The boy spoke up. "I'm Ash! And this is my pal Pikachu!"

"_Hey there!" _Ash's Pikachu said as he relaxed on his partner's shoulder.

"Hey! That Pikachu of yours sure does like you Ash," I said noticing the rat cuddling up to his shoulder as if he'd done it a thousand times before, his cheeks lighting up in joyful jolts of electricity. "That's cool. I heard Pikachu can be tough to get to listen to you. That's impressive."

"Thanks I guess. But Pikachu and I have been together for a long time. I don't think I can remember anymore when he wouldn't listen to me."

"_I can," _Pikachu said sarcastically.

"Heh, heh. Wait a minute…" My mind suddenly clicked. Ash. Pikachu. Somehow, those two words rang a bell in my brain. I wondered why for a moment. Until I reached into my bag, taking out a scrapbook I had made myself of trainers I had followed through the years. I flipped through the pages absent-mindedly, almost not expecting to find anything. But I nearly smashed my head into a wall when I realized who was standing right in front of me. My eyes darted to him, then back to the book, then back to him, then back to the book like I was watching a tennis rally. I swallowed hard and then screamed. "AHH! YOU'RE… ASH… KETCHUM?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's me!" Ash replied, not recoiling in the slightest from my deranged screeching. Cilan didn't either, but I think that was because he might have yelled in the same way on occasion as well. Iris was sane enough to do so though, thankfully.

"B-B-Bu-! So you're… competing in the Unova League now?"

"Yeah."

"And what's wrong with that exactly?" Iris asked, backing away from me slightly, her Axew sharing her expression of caution. I didn't care. After all, the only thing I had to do to prove I wasn't crazy was turn the open book in my hands around and show it off to the people in front of me. I saw the eyes of Cilan and Iris widen as they stared at the multiple pictures and article clippings I had pasted into the book depicting Ash participating in the Kanto Indigo League. I turned the page, showing another two-page spread of Ash's history, this time participating in the Johto League. Yet another turn of the page, and there was another slice of Ash's professional life, showcasing him in the Hoenn League. I turned the page one last time and revealed his ventures in Sinnoh.

"Nothing wrong with it!" I responded. "I'm just excited! I mean, you're the guy who's participated in more Pokémon League contests than I can shake a branch at. I mean, you just never stop!"

"Huh?" Iris spluttered before turning to Ash, who was blinking in just as much disbelief as his companions. "Since when do you have fanboys?"

Ash simply grinned broadly, shrugging. I sighed. I knew I could be a little obsessive when it came to Pokémon battles, this being exhibit A, but darn it if this guy wasn't an inspiration. No matter how many times he was knocked down (or how brutally) he always came back even more powerful than before. He was an expert in getting back up from the dirt.

"Are you kidding?" I asked. "I don't think I've ever watched a more intense battle than the one you had in Sinnoh against Paul! Besides your battle with Gary Oak in Johto!"

"Who?" Iris inquired. I nearly smacked her. All these inspirational battles and she hadn't seen one of them. Did she grow up in the wild, or something?

"Thanks," Ash began, "but I couldn't have had all those battles without Pikachu here. And all my other Pokémon."

"Uh huh," I responded quickly, jotting these words down in my scrapbook. I was ready to hear more from the Ponyta's mouth, but before he could continue, his eyes were drawn to something behind me. His grin got even wider and he waved to what I assumed to be a person he knew.

"Hey! Trip!" Ash shouted. My eyes went into an immediate roll as I turned around, finding Trip facing the reception booth in between the swarms of people. I mentally and physically facepalmed. Ash was quick to rush past me, grinning a friendly grin from ear to ear. Trip's eyes darted to him and subsequently rolled. I sneered at him. Did he not know just who he was talking to? The trainer who had a Charizard that once defeated an Articuno? The guy whose Pikachu tied with a Latios and defeated a Regice? The dude who conquered a Darkrai using a half-asleep Sceptile? I curled my fists almost instinctively. Cheren and Trip. Two pompous fools I'd really like to punch in the face.

"Why is he being friendly to him?" I asked Iris and Cilan as Ash struck up a conversation with the uninterested Trip. Cilan chuckled knowingly and placed his hands on his hips.

"That's just how Ash is," Cilan explained. I glared at the back of Ash's head as he conversed with the beige-headed boy. "At times, he has peculiar ways of acting. But… it's still just Ash."

"I don't get it." I replied plainly. I then turned to Cilan, suddenly realizing what I really should have been asking this entire time. "Hey, wait a minute! Cilan! Aren't you a gym leader? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be back home accepting challenges?"

"Hm? Oh, right. You see, after my gym battle with you, I actually got to thinking about what I want to do. But it wasn't until I had my battle with Ash that I truly thought that I had a lot more to learn about what it means to be a Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan clenched his fist, looking up into the sky with determination in his eyes and a confident grin on his face. "And now, as I travel through Unova, I am beginning to see a shining star! A star that shines with what the nature of human-Pokémon relationships is all about! Can you see that star as well Black? Can you?"

"Gyah!" I exclaimed when Cilan's glittering eyes and smiling face zoomed in right in front of my face. I gulped after backing away, growing an awkward smile. "Uh… not… especially."

"Really?" Cilan's face fell. "Well, Black, I suppose it is only visible to those of the Pokémon Connoisseur profession. Oh Black and Iris! I wish you could both see what I see when I look at a Pokémon and their trainer! I see-"

"LIES NO DOUBT!" A voice directly behind me screeched like a megaphone. I fell over in surprise, landing on my nose. I held the afflicted area and turned around to find whoever had given me the jump of a lifetime. The person who had the voice of a banshee with a cold was a girl about a foot shorter than myself. She had lilac eyes and straight purple hair that she had curled near the ends. She wore a sleeveless suit jacket over a dress shirt with a pair of dress pants complimenting the formal attire. The angry expression on her face as she glared at the blinking Cilan should not be considered human. Her teeth were grinding so much I could've sworn there was a production line running in her mouth. "The day you come with an accurate evaluation, Cilan, is the day Tepigs fly!"

"This is gonna be a bad day, isn't it?" Iris sighed, shrugging her shoulders. My head twisted as I looked from Iris to this new girl, to Cilan, and then back again. I think Iris had it right.

"Oh, hello Burgundy," Cilan greeted her with a kind smile on his face as if he had no idea he was just insulted. Burgundy wasn't as amused.

"Don't you insult me with your greetings! This time, I get my revenge! And nothing will stand in my way! Not you! Not your Pansage! Not YOUR STUPID CATCH PHRASE! AND NOT ANYTHING ELSE! TODAY! AT THIS TOURNAMENT! I VOW THAT YOUR DEFEAT SHALL COME CILAN! REVENGE WILL BE MINE!"

_And the award for the nuttiest cartoon villain of all time goes to… _I thought to myself, rolling my eyes as I did so. Gotta love these crazies I keep meeting.

I was sure that Burgundy was about to go on more about vengeance and being antagonizing in general, but at that moment, there was a bang heard from the direction of the boat. Before I could whirl around for the twenty-fifth time that day, a shower of multicoloured confetti sprinkled into my field of vision. My gaze shifted to the marine vessel, finding a Don George standing on the deck, the switch for a nearby confetti cannon in his hand. He smiled down proudly at the future tournament participants. I grinned as the awkward feeling I had with being near these people was quickly replaced with burning anticipation.

"When it comes to battling, leave everything to me!" Don George called out, resulting in a righteous cheer from the crowd below, myself included in the noise. "Are you all ready? THEN GET ON THIS BOAT!"

I smiled, standing up and brushing myself up before rushing past Burgundy. I neared the edge of the port, a door on the side of the boat sliding open, seemingly on its own. Speaking of things happening on their own, a large ramp extended from the door, providing a walkway for myself and my peers. There were no handrails. Well, this was the height of safety, wasn't it?

Regardless, I didn't hesitate. I was first on the ramp, dashing up the steel grating, a clanking sound occurring with every footstep. Excitement burst inside of me. It was time to show everyone what I was made of. White. Cheren. Trip. They were all here. And I was more ready for a fight with each step I took. I could hear the approach of my competition on my tail. Let them come. I was ready to take all of them on.

The inside of the boat was dark, only a few lights on the ceiling lighting the metal floor beneath me. For a fancy ship, I didn't see the appeal it apparently had. That attitude was soon to change, however, when I walked to the end of the hall and entered a place that made me say the following.

"Whoa…" The word escaped my lips without my knowledge. I was too caught up in the sheer size and look of this boat's main attraction. Within this boat was a ballroom. An elegant chandelier hung from the scarlet ceiling. The scarlet colour bled onto the walls and floor, only the furniture of the room contrasting it. A large buffet table with various appetizers and desserts piled atop it sat at the opposite side of the ball room. Other tables were scattered around the edges of the room, these ones not quite as large. These were more suited for smaller groups considering the plush armchairs surrounding them. In the center of this room however, the floors were not carpeted like the rest of the area. Instead, there was a dirt battlefield with white lines painted on it that almost made it resemble a soccer field. My heart began beating a mile a minute. I knew what this meant. The tournament was beginning here.

"Excuse me," the thoughts had hardly accumulated in my mind as this voice spoke out to me. It was another attendant who was standing at the doorway. I hardly took notice of her at first. "Please hand in your application form."

I clenched my teeth. I'd forgotten about the darn form. I returned to it and wrote down my final Pokémon choice and handed it to her. As I did so, Tony, whose stomach was growling at the sight of the food across the room, leapt from my shoulder and soared towards his prize. The weight lifting from my shoulder was an automatic alert for me to start paying attention before I had to pay for food eaten by my Pokémon. Tony flew across the battlefield, not paying it any heed as his only target was the sweets. He shot himself directly for the brownies like some sort of icing-seeking missile, my feet desperately trying to keep up the pace. He landed on the table quickly, reaching out and stuffing several brownies into his hungry mouth. I sighed, slowing down as I did so. There was no stopping him now. Tear him away from his chocolate and all he'll do is psychically put them in his mouth. I don't even know why I bother.

I knew why two seconds later when Tony started to choke.

I suppose I found it odd when Tony dropped his food. The oddness increased when I heard slight rasping noises emerging from the Victini's throat. My heart dropped into my stomach. I ran to my pal, picking him up in my trembling hands. He looked up at me with a pained expression, continuing to gasp. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't exactly do the Heimlich maneuver on him. I stood stock still. I couldn't think. I couldn't move. All I could do was watch as my best friend suffered right before my eyes.

And then the moment was taken out of my hands quite literally. A pair of hands suddenly grabbed Tony by the sides, removing him from my grasp. I stared at my empty hands for a moment, not quite realizing that I no longer had a squirming Victory Pokémon in them. My fingers clutched at non-existent air as my head slowly turned to whoever had stolen away the choking Pokémon. It wasn't Alicia (much to my relief), but rather, it was a teen about my height though that was about the only similarity he shared. I was meeting lots of odd people today, but this guy… ranked about fifth in terms of being odd. Still, that's an impressive feat nonetheless. He had unkempt black hair that was in no way under control. His dull expression stared directly at Tony as his fingers opened Tony's unwilling mouth wide. His arms, covered in the sleeves of a white lab coat, held Tony upside-down, his hand keeping Tony's mouth open. With his other hand, he reached into Tony's mouth. After a short period of Tony making a series of uncomfortable noises, the youth's hand emerged from his mouth, the partially swallowed brownie emerging with the hand, both totally covered in saliva. I cringed, Tony gasping for air as I did so. My buddy then flew out of the teen's arms, flying right back to the brownies and munching on them as if the last couple of minutes never happened. I sighed in relief. That was a close one.

"Thanks man!" I said, waving friendly at the my new acquaintance. He simply gave me a bored stare and turned away, folding his arms as he leaned against the table.

"Not an issue," he replied. I rolled my eyes. Whether he saved Tony's life or not, I was hesitant to talk with an antisocial person. This thought was promptly interrupted, however, by yet another voice. This one was not from someone human.

"_Come on Arcade, he said thank you," _the voice said from behind Arcade. I looked around this guy apparently named Arcade (weird name, but since I'm named Black, I really had no right to judge). What I found was a bipedal gray Pokémon with pink vein-like bulges protruding from all around its body. What struck me as strange was the large block of lumber it was carrying in one hand. With his other hand, it reached out to me in a handshake gesture. _"You're welcome sir!"_

"Hey… nice to meet you," I said for what had to be the third time that day. I smiled back awkwardly and shook the Pokémon's hand. With my other hand, I took out my pokédex, wishing to see what this new Pokémon was all about.

"_**Timburr, the Muscular Pokémon. Timburr always carries a wooden beam. When it can easily lift its heavy burden, it is close to evolving."**_

"Cool," I said simply. I pocketed my pokédex as the fighting type moved away, quickly snatching up and snacking on a nearby sandwich. I turned back to 'Arcade'. "So, Arcade is it?"

The guy's eyes widened so fast that I think they broke the sound barrier. His head slowly turned to me, issuing a gulp from my throat. I seemed to have an innate talent for pissing people off these days.

"How did you know my name?"

Oh crap. I just remembered that I only heard his name from his Pokémon. How dumb could I get? And he didn't have a nametag or anything, so it's not like I could've used that as an excuse. Butterflies charged into my stomach as sweat built up at my brow. Even as the sounds of other contestants entering the boat pounded in our ears, the guy kept his unblinking eyes on me. For a full thirty seconds, I stood there with a stupid expression spread on my face. Until my saviour came in the form of Ellen.

"Hey Black!" Ellen said, approaching with a rather depressed Nessie under her arm. I breathed out in relief again. Hooray for distractions. Ellen's eyes quickly darted to Arcade and, being Ellen, she immediately took Nessie out of the headlock and began rigorously shaking Arcade's hand. "Hi there! The name's Ellen! How you doin'?"

"Just… fine thanks." Arcade responded, not quite making eye contact. Realizing the fortune of the situation, I leaned against the table and took a bite out of a rather delicious cupcake, grinning smugly. I suddenly remembered why I was traveling with Ellen in the first place. She's my secret weapon.

"So what're you here for? Are you competing too?"

"No. I'm… here as medical staff." Medical staff? So he was a doctor. That explained the calm procedure he just pulled off.

"Really? That's so cool! Are you a doctor for Pokémon? Or for people?"

"Both." Interestingly enough, I found myself listening more intently to the conversation. So was Nessie for that matter. She leaned in next to me, picking up a cupcake of her own. "I'm not… quite a doctor yet. I'm studying to be one, at least."

"You know this guy?" Nessie asked in a friendly manner.

"Nope," I answered. I was hardly paying her any heed. This Arcade guy was kind of interesting. Becoming a doctor sounded hard enough on its own. But for humans and Pokémon? To me, that sounded just about impossible. Then again, I'm terrible at academics. Wait a minute, something about what he just said didn't sit right.

"Hold it a minute!" I spoke up. Arcade and Ellen turned to me. "Didn't you just say you were studying to be a doctor? Why are you on a boat with a Pokémon battle tournament? Shouldn't you be in school or something?"

"No," he said simply. I gave him a look, indicating that that wasn't a good enough answer. He shifted his stance and took a deep breath, as if he was tired of explaining this. "I'm on a journey for knowledge. Part of my studies is to observe how Pokémon develop injuries. Pokémon battles are the best way to do that, wouldn't you agree?"

"Um… yeah, I guess."

"WOW!" Ellen screeched right in Arcade's ear. The doctor offered up the first flinch I'd seen him have. "So you're on a journey to become a doctor! That's cool! Just like Black and me!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Yeah. Black's on a journey to become one of the toughest Pokémon trainers! And I'm on a journey to become one of the greatest Pokémon coordinators!"

"I see. Shooting for those dreams is going to be difficult, wouldn't you think so?"

"What do you mean?"

"I did some studying on Pokémon battles before I began my own journey." He paused, clearing his throat. I narrowed my brow. Something told me I wasn't gonna like what he was about to say. "Every year, nearly a thousand kids leave home to become Pokémon trainers in the Unova region. Out of all of those trainers, nearly all but one hundred quit in the middle of that quest. Out of those one hundred trainers, only fifty of them actually make it to the Unova League tournament for the opportunity to take on the elite four. Out of those fifty, only ten ever get the chance to take on the elite four on average over the course of twenty tournaments. Out of these ten, only one ever manages to beat even a single member of the elite four to become a member of the elite four themselves."

He stopped there. All I could do to respond to that was widen my eyes and narrow my brow further. Frustration boiled up my neck and into my head. I would be furiously yelling in his face if his voice hadn't been riddled with monotone as he stated those statistics.

"So, what you're saying is," I began, my fists trembling with rage. "You think that I can't make my dream come true? You think it's impossible, huh?"

"No that's not what I said at all. I said it's incredibly unlikely, not impossible."

"Is that what you think, smart guy?" I didn't say that. Instead, it was a familiar face who was voicing my anger. Before he could react, Arcade was grabbed by the collar by my good rival White who appeared out of nowhere. She got right in his face, giving the serious doctor a good glare. I smiled. Dangerous for Arcade? Maybe. But satisfying? Oh yes indeed. Cheren and Bianca stood behind White, both looking aghast at their friend's behaviour. "Do you think you're funny or something?"

"What are you talking about? It's just statistics!"

"Statistics don't decide a battle! I don't care what nerds think! I'm gonna be champion! So if you're gonna spout nonsense, don't do it while I'm around or you're gonna regret it!"

"Hey White! What's up?" I greeted her with a wave. She looked at me with her usual anger painted on her face. At this point, I was used to it.

"Who-?"

"Yes, I know you have no idea who I am, and quite frankly I don't care anymore." I replied before she could even say that she didn't know my name. I was used to White in more ways than one. "Hey Bianca! Cheren!"

"Hi Black!" Bianca replied, being the first person today that I was happy to meet up with today.

"Your attention please!" Don George's voice broke out through the murmurs of the crowd. I whirled around in surprise, seeing the man standing in the center of the battlefield, his fists in the air. All eyes were now on him. "THIS POKÉMON BATTLE TOURNAMENT WILL NOW BEGIN! ARE YOU ALL READY?"

"YEAH!" A unanimous cheer broke out through the group. Everybody seemed to be as pumped up as I was.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"YEAH! WE'RE READY!"

"ALRIGHT THEN! THE FIRST MATCHUP HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED! I NEED BLACK AND BURGUNDY UP ON THE FIELD!"

My heart skipped a beat. We were already fighting? And I was up first? My legs didn't move. The peculiar sense of anxiety flooded me. In front of all these people? Right here and right now?

"No! That's not right!" Burgundy called out from the opposite side of the field. "I wanted to fight Cilan, not some loser named Black!"

Okay, that snapped me out of it. I clenched my fists and marched up to the battlefield, nodding at Don George as I approached my side of the field. The focus of all the trainers was now being sent in my direction. Burgundy was already on her side, sticking her nose up at me. I glanced at Ellen who gave me the thumbs up along with Bianca. White, Cheren, and Arcade remained indifferent.

"Cheer me on okay you two?" I said to Bianca and Ellen. They nodded at me enthusiastically. I then looked at Arcade. I'd show him. I'd show him what a Pokémon battle was if it was the last thing I'd do.

"Do you really want to do this?" Burgundy asked smugly, one of her eyebrows raised and both her hands on her hips. "I mean, it would be silly for a Pokémon Connoisseur like myself to waste my time playing with a little kid like yourself."

"Believe me, Burgundy, I've dealt with Connoisseurs before!" Well, technically, just one. But that's not the point. "And I can take the heat."

"Can you now? We'll see. After all…"

"**It's NEW tasting time, s'il vous plait!" **

I facepalmed. Not another one. I had my hands full trying to understand Cilan's gibberish.

"I choose my Dewott!" Burgundy declared, throwing her pokéball into the fray. The Dewott emerged as promised, causing discussion to break out throughout the crowd. "You'll never find a better recipe than the one my Dewott and I make, little man! So send out your vintage so that we can get this over with."

I smirked. I had three choices. I could use Tony… but I doubt I would be able to tear him away from the buffet table. Then there was Witt. Against his evolved form however… well I didn't want to take the risk.

_And besides, _I thought confidently as I stared at the sphere in my hand, _I've been waiting to give you some action. Now let's see what you can really do. _

"Black!" Don George called out. "Send out your Pokémon!"

"You got it! Okay, I choose you!" I released my pokéball, my selection emerging in a flash of light. When Ellen saw who I chose, her jaw dropped. And it was understandable. After all, he'd never been in an official battle. And he'd never won a battle before either.

"Alright!" Don George declared. "Burgundy's Dewott versus Black's Deino! Once either Pokémon faints, this match is over! AND BEGIN!"

I stared at Perry as he stomped his foot like a bull, nose pointed directly at the Dewott. That's right, it was time for Perry's first real battle. I breathed in deep, the audience I had beginning to weigh on me. I've never battled with so many spectators before. It was oddly… invigorating.

**(Music Cue: Unova Trainer Battle – Black and White)**

"I've already tasted your recipe Black! And I can see from here that it's a dud! Dewott, use Razor Shell!"

"Enough with the food metaphors already! Perry use Dark Pulse!" Dewott grabbed his shells and made a mad dash for Perry. But my dragon type was already ready with his Dark Pulse. The black rings of dark energy burst from his maw, aiming straight for the water type.

"Child's play! Dewott, use Aqua Jet to dodge!" Before we could land a blow, however, Dewott's body was surrounded by gushing water, launching the otter into the air and allowing him to avoid our assault entirely. The Dewott came down on Perry like a hammer, sending the Deino tumbling. Dewott followed up by activating his twin Razor Shells, setting them ablaze with the traditional watery aura. The water type then struck Perry straight to the face, knocking him upwards only to drop like a comet.

"Perry!" I yelled as he hit the ground with a thud.

"Hee hee hee hee! You didn't actually think you could win, did you?"

"Tch! Perry! Use Focus Energy!"

"Bad choice! Dewott! Use Water Pulse!"

As Perry's body was surrounded by a radiant orange aura, a sphere of water built up between Dewott's two paws. After Perry had built up the energy in his body, he was too unprepared to avoid getting pummeled by the Water Pulse. The lizard collapsed, sliding in near my feet. I heard murmurs from the crowd. Mostly about how little I'd trained Perry. I growled.

"I… refuse to lose! Perry! Use Bite!"

"Let it get in close Dewott!" Perry charged up to the otter and before I could realize my own stupidity, Burgundy struck. "Now Razor Shell!"

Perry's jaw hardly opened before Dewott lashed out with a Razor Shell, knocking back Perry again. Perry struggled to get up this time. I gulped. This wasn't good.

"Ha! No one can get in the way between me and my revenge! You're just a stepping stone! Dewott! Razor Shell!"

"Knock him back with Dark Pulse Perry!"

"Don't you ever learn? Dodge that with Aqua Jet!"

Dewott managed to do so, leaping above the incoming barrage of dark rings and activating his Aqua Jet. He then began to descend, his sights set on my little buddy. But I was ready for it this time. I smirked.

"Haven't _you _ever learned not to use the same trick twice? Perry, use Headbutt!"

**(Music Cue: Gym Leader's Last Pokémon – Black and White)**

"WHAT?" Burgundy screeched as Perry charged forward, jumping into the air. The otter and the dragon collided in mid-air, heads bumping. But the outcome depended on whose skull was harder. That honor, as luck would have it, belonged to Perry. The dragon prevailed, easily tossing the Dewott backward through sheer force. "AH! DEWOTT! GET UP!"

"Perry! Let's go! Dark Pulse!" Perry launched the burst of dark energy from his maw as soon as he touched solid ground. The Dewott, who hadn't recovered yet was blasted backwards. Perry kept up the attack, easily sending Dewott back further and further, the Dark Pulse having the same impact a fire hose would.

"Oh crud!" Burgundy exclaimed just before her flying Dewott collided with her, knocking both of them out of the ring. I clenched my teeth while simultaneously attempting to hold back a laugh. The crowd gaped. Dewott just fainted. So had Burgundy for that matter. I blinked rapidly at the sight of both of them on the floor, completely knocked out. For a second, there was utter silence.

"YAY! GO BLACK GO!" There was silence until Bianca and Ellen started cheering at least. Perry spun round, his tongue drooping out of his mouth as he panted. He ran up to me, jumping into my unprepared arms, making me topple over as per usual. After catching my breath, I scratched his fur.

"Way to play Perry!" That was probably my shortest battle ever. Excitement shot through the stunned state I had been in. I was in. I had just won round one of the tournament. I was well on my way to the top. A smile crept across my face as I gave Perry a gigantic hug. "You-did-it! You-did-it! I'm so proud of you!"

"_Mama happy! Perry happy!" _Perry ecstatically screeched as he licked my face repeatedly. I didn't care that I had dragon slobber in my hair. I just beat my opposition in two moves in front of all my rivals. I was over the moon. I picked Perry up and skipped off the battlefield, pretending not care about all the gasping faces. I especially made a careful effort to take a glance at White's reluctantly impressed visage. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her. I looked back at Perry, seeing him wag his tail as his nose faced the buffet table. I set him loose. Needless to say, the sandwiches were gone within three seconds.

"And that ends the battle!" Don George said hesitantly, just as stunned. "As Burgundy's Dewott is unable to battle, Black's Deino is the winner!"

"So what did you think of that, Arcade?" I asked, sliding in between Arcade and Ellen, smugly grabbing another cupcake and munching on it. "Good enough?"

"I can't really say." I glowered at him. Did nothing impress this guy? "But from what I've studied on battles, that was a rather quick victory. I suppose I should congratulate you on that."

"Yeah, yeah, what do you know about battles?" I said under my breath so he wouldn't hear. Before I could whimper pathetically anymore, Arcade reached behind me, his arms seeming to head straight for my Deino. I grabbed his wrist just before they snatched him. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"Look at his leg," Arcade replied. I snarled and did so, clenching my teeth soon after. My anxiety returned when I saw a bruise on the back of his leg. Arcade was quick to put that aside when he flipped out a Super Potion. "Don't panic. Minor injuries are a breeze when it comes to Pokémon. They heal remarkably fast."

Arcade sprayed the chemical onto the afflicted area. However, this must have stung Perry quite a bit since he let out a small 'meep' and leapt into my arms. My ears were suddenly assaulted by the sorrowful screeching of the Deino.

"_MAMAAA! THAT HUUUURTS!" _Perry cried into my chest. I shot a glare at Arcade who backed off respectively. Despite his previous action, I had to give him credit for being smart enough to retreat while he had the chance. I patted Perry's head reassuringly. Grumbling, I turned back to Ellen, hoping to be done with him.

But really, would Ellen allow that? Not quite. Her swift feet sauntered past me, bringing herself closer to the doctor so that she could put a friendly arm around his shoulders. Arcade had the aura of confusion to say the least.

"You sure do know you're stuff Arcade," Ellen said. "You're really smart. Just like you Vanessa… Vanessa?"

Nessie had left. I sighed. Ellen needed to learn the meaning of the words 'personal space'.

"Well, in any case," Ellen continued, unimpeded by Nessie's sudden absence, "you're really cool when you get past that serious side!"

"Serious side?" Arcade asked.

"Yeah… hey I just got an idea." Ellen's grip tightened around Arcade's head, bringing him into an unwilling friendly headlock. And before I had time to run, she did the same to me. I grumbled incessantly. I repeat. Ellen _really _needs to learn about personal space.

"About what?"

"I just thought… y'know we're all on some kind of journey! Black and I are going to be in a lot of Pokémon battles!"

"What's your point?" I was wondering that too. Ellen didn't often think this hard about things. That's not to say she was stupid, she just wasn't a philosopher.

"Well, you're studying the effects of Pokémon battles on Pokémon, right?"

Oh snap. I just realized where this train of thought was going.

"Wait! Ellen! We've only just met this guy! Remember what happened with N?" I rasped desperately. It's not like I didn't like Arcade. I just didn't want to cook for yet another mouth.

"Come on Black! You know how reckless you are just rushing out into battle all the time!" Yeah, I was the reckless one. That sounded strange coming from this girl who constantly spouted declarations of revenge on Team Plasma. "Plus, you get hurt a lot. To the point where it's kinda funny, actually. You're gonna need a doctor on standby."

"What? What's happening?" Arcade sounded a tad panicked at this point. And I couldn't bring myself to blame him.

"She…" I hesitated. "She wants you… to come with us… on our journey."

"You read my mind, Black!" Ellen responded as cheerful as usual.

"Hey? What? I didn't agree to this!"

"You think that stops her?" I asked rhetorically.

"Come on! It'll be fun! Pleeaaaaaaase?" Ellen said, staring at Arcade with those puppy dog eyes she used on me the day we met. And just like me, Arcade's face went a tad red as he looked into those gigantic pleading eyes. He looked aghast. But unlike me, he was more resistant. He turned his head away.

"Like Black just said, we've only just met." Arcade explained. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"

"Yeah, well, that's how it was with me and Black!" That wasn't exactly an argument, Ellen, seeing as how I'm more gullible than a Rattata under a mouse trap. "Come on!"

"_Arcade!" _Timburr said waving his hand in front of his trainer's face. Obviously, Arcade began paying attention. The fighting type pointed to himself. _"I think we could all benefit from this! You keep saying that you want to observe as many battles as you can. Travelling with two trainers like these'll get us all the experimental data you need. Heck, they're basically handing it to you."_

I had to wonder who was the real thinker of this pair. Of course, it wasn't as if Arcade understood the Pokémon anyway.

"Oh geez Richter. Don't tell me you want to do this," Arcade sighed. He returned his gaze to Ellen, then to me, then back to Ellen. He sighed once again. "I guess… I can… for a little while."

I felt like I just got punched in the stomach.

But that feeling wasn't to last. That's the story of how Arcade and Timburr joined the team. I didn't know it then, but if Arcade hadn't done so… let's just say I don't think I'd be here today telling this tale. From that day on, I felt like the journey truly began.

From this point onward, the story began to unwind at last.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Six!**

**Again, I must apologize for the length of time I was absent. I was so wrapped up in other stuff. But once again, I'm back to not having a life! Which means more writing time! That's right people! I'm back! Hopefully for a longer period of time!**

**So that's right, Arcade is our traveling companion. Thanks goers to The Observer 00 for submitting him. To all of those with OCs in this chapter, I apologize if I interpreted them incorrectly. **

**I wanted to get this chapter to you yesterday, but I spent the whole day finishing it. So, I apologize for any and all grammar mistakes made in advance. I try to catch them in my own work, but they just slip through. I catch them all the time when I'm beta-reading for others. Oh well. Nothing I can do about it. Speaking of beta reading, anyone willing to do it for this fic? I'll be your best friend!**

**I'm very sorry if the introduction of Arcade and several other characters was abrupt and disjointed. If this chapter seems a little jumpy, then I don't blame you for thinking so. The reason I did this tournament thing was to give OCs time in the sun since I have been absolutely TERRIBLE in including OCs lately. I'M SORRY! Remind me never to make another chapter with a BAJILLION CHARACTERS IN IT! It was hard to keep track.**

**As for Arcade himself, he and the other OCs get more development and battle time in the chapters to come. As this is a tournament, get ready for plenty of action scenes featuring, you guessed it, your OCs. As well as, y'know, my characters and canon characters. Of course, there will be plot advancement as well. This isn't just fun and games, y'know. No spoilers, but let's just say we begin solving some mysteries. **

**Speaking of our tournament, I wanted to find a way to decide fair matches. So, to make it absolutely fair and square, I pulled names from a hat to decide the matchups and flipped a coin to decide who would win in the tournament, then I rinsed and repeated. So if your character loses, you have only random chance to blame and not me. Literally anyone in this tournament could potentially win this. Of course, I already know the winner. And I'm surprised at how well it worked out from a story perspective. Again, no spoilers, but I think no one will be sour with how things turned out. **

**And now for what some of you were waiting for. I received PMs asking me what I think of Black and White 2 so far. From what I've seen, I'll say that I'm hyped. Maybe it's because of that anime teaser trailer, but I am excited as all get out for this game. If / When I get the game, I'll probably be choosing Tepig again since Tepig is my favourite Unova starter. That's right, not Oshawott or Snivy, ironically enough. I don't understand why the protagonists of these games are getting so much hate. What, they have ridiculous hair? Gee, isn't that sort of like… every anime character in existence? In fact, I love the look of these two. It's the protagonists of the original Black and White that I didn't find as appealing. Not because they look bad or anything, they just seem so… generic. Ironic, huh? Back to the point. I do like the fact that they're including new gym leaders. Though I wish they would make them ALL new and not just about half of them (or at least I think it's just half of them, since we haven't seen them all yet). **

**Lastly, unless the plot of the new Black and White is very very **_**very **_**intriguing, there probably will not be an "It's Not Always Black and White: The Musical 2", since the end of this fic is going to be different from the end of Black and White. Not COMPLETELY different, but let's just say it might not blend to well with what game freak's got planned for the second Black and White game. **

**And after that onslaught of Author's Notes, I'll leave you now with a look at the next chapter. **

**Next chapter, it's up in the air about who's moving onto Round Two. And one coordinator isn't about to let Zack get there easily. **

**Next Chapter: Round One Matchup! Zack vs. Drew!**

**PS – To get to know you guys a tad better, I'm asking questions at the end of chapters now. It's up to you whether you answer or not, but it's something new I'm trying. Lemme know what you think!**

**Question: Who's your favourite gym leader of all time?**


	27. Round One Matchup! Zack vs Drew!

**So yeah... as it turns out, I'm still alive.**

**Hey guys, guess what? My Google Documents Account glitched! Which means all my outlines for EVERYTHING that happens in this story got erased! YAY! Which means now I have to do it all from memory! Including all the matchups for this tournament! And if you know about my memory then… what was I talking about again?**

**Review Responses: An Anon Fellow – Yeah, I did NOT plan ahead on that idea.**

**ZXCVBNMEM / Emi – I too often wish Ash was just a tad smarter. Or that he would actually learn something from his fifteen years of experience. Hope the waits don't keep getting longer.**

**Russetwing - Gym Leader with a fez… Hm… What type of Pokémon would they have I wonder? Uh oh, wait, I think we're getting into crossover fics now.**

**Hee hee, thanks. Well, at least Ash looked different in Hoenn… then again, I think fanboys would scream in unadulterated rage if they replaced Ash's baseball cap with whatever the heck Brendan's hat was. Deino only learn Dark Pulse through breeding.**

**Don't sell yourself short. I've seen what you do. Good luck right back at'cha!**

**The Observer 00 – Oh, we're not quite in the real deal tournament yet. This boat section is more for establishment of who the real competitors are. Thanks for the props with Arcade and be sure to let me know when I screw up since I plan to have a few chapters based around his character. Thanks a lot for the offer… but I got a request from someone else, so… sorry.**

**AngelicWings24 – I've managed to make someone 'squeee'. It's stuff like that that makes it all worthwhile. The play went very well. It was absolute hell to make, but it finished strong. Thanks again for another awesome review!**

**EnglandRox – Wow… now that's timing.**

**Ashley Eon – Perry says thanks. Or, he would, if he knew what those words meant.**

**Harison86 - Ha ha, I welcome the fanboy-ish rants. Make 'em myself all the time.**

**Raikahoken – Thanks, and I'm sorry to disappoint, but this chapter as well as the previous one are more for introduction purposes to show who is in this thing. The next round is where this tourney really starts heating up.**

**The Knux-Meister – Why thank you! That means quite a lot.**

**Spyhunter7 – Um… okay. I don't exactly own the right to make a type of character so go right ahead.**

**Chapter 27: Round One Matchup! Drew vs. Zack!**

"Riolu!" Nessie called out from her end of the battlefield, staring directly at her opponent, a diminutive boy named Marcus and his Shieldon. So far, the match had pretty much gone in Nessie's favor. Nessie's opposition couldn't seem to land a single blow on her. Or maybe it just seemed that way. I was zoning in and out, trying to focus on the match, getting my pokédex out, and repeatedly telling Tony to chew with his mouth closed as he ate biscuits atop my head all at once. Eventually, I had no choice but to call him back to his pokéball.

_**"Shieldon, the Shield Pokémon. The skin on its face is very hard, and it has a habit of polishing it by rubbing against trees."**_

_**"Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. When sad or scared, Riolu's aura becomes stronger as a way of signaling its allies."**_

"Cool, more foreign Pokémon!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening in wonder as Riolu dodged an incoming Take Down from his Shieldon opponent.

So far, the matches in this tournament hadn't taken longer than five minutes each. This was the second last match of round one. It wasn't really a surprise who got through. I pretty much expected them all to. The current combatants who had already proceeded through to the next round were as follows:

Myself.

Cheren.

Bianca.

Ash.

Iris.

Ellen (just barely).

Cilan.

May.

White (don't ask me how she managed to finish a match in fifteen seconds. I blinked and missed it.).

Mikey.

Yuki.

Apollo.

Trip (despite the curse I put on his very soul).

And Mila.

All in all, the people who I thought in my mind as real competitors had made it through. Oh, wait, add one more to the list. Nessie just won her match.

"Marcus' Shieldon is unable to battle!" Don George narrated, gesturing to the collapsed Shieldon lying fainted at Marcus' feet.

"Yeah! Riolu! Way to play!" Nessie praised her fighting type as he pumped a paw in the air, mimicking his trainer's current pose.

"Awww," Marcus groaned disappointingly, recalling the shield Pokémon before retreating to a corner where all the other losing parties of the day had gathered. Nessie recalled her own Pokémon before exchanging a high five with Don George and moving to the sidelines (on the opposite side of the room from Ellen, understandably).

"EVERYBODY LISTEN!" Don George's voice echoed throughout the hall, the sound of which almost blew my hat clean off my head. "Congratulations to those who've made it through in the first round! But we've got one match left! And this one'll decide the last competitor who'll triumph among your ranks! You've all fought hard! Now let's hope these two put up as much of a fight! Zack! Drew! Get your butts onto this field!"

"Ha!" Zack yelled, descending from his perch atop a table so he could see the battle above the crowd in front of him. He gave Mikey, who had been standing nearby, a rough friendly shove. "Check this out Mickey. This is how a real pro trainer battles."

"It's Mikey," Mikey replied, pouting angrily a tad. "And dream on, loser. You do know who you're going up against, right?"

"Some dude named Drew?"

"You really don't, do you? This'll be fun to watch then. Go on."

Mikey shooed him away, an almost... evil smirk on her face. Zack shrugged and shoved all in his way, including myself, out of the way. He charged straight to his spot like a mad Bouffalant, enthusiasm flowing into the room through his delighted expression.

His elated behaviour was equally matched by his opponent's confidence. This 'Drew' turned out to be the same young man with green hair who I had seen speaking to May before I got on the boat. He emerged onto the field through the masses of people with eyes closed and Mikey's smug smile strung below his nose. Zack gave him a wave. The green-topped guy flipped his bangs in response. Zack's expression morphed into a nasty sneer.

"Hey! Pay attention to me!" Zack shouted at this Drew, shaking his fist like an old man with children on his lawn.

"Two minutes," Drew replied in such a way that didn't make it sound like a reply.

"What now?"

"Two minutes," Drew repeated in the smuggest manner possible. He brandished a pokéball in his left hand, flipping his bangs again with his right. Why did the desire to punch this arrogant man in the face suddenly burst into my mind. "That's all that this is gonna take for you to lose."

"Who do this guy think he is?" I regret saying that. A good portion of that regret came from Ellen's fingers clasping at the collar of my jacket, and with a not-so-surprising strength, she lifted me up by the collar, shooting enflamed daggers with her glare. I think she was trying to choke me.

"You DON'T KNOW?" Ellen screeched, her voice attempting to make swiss cheese out of my eardrums. "He's Drew! DREW! May's arch rival! He's the closest you can get to being top coordinator without ACTUALLY BEING top coordinator! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE HEARD OF HIM!"

Suddenly, I had started rooting for Zack.

Speaking of Zack, he had got his own pokéball out and looked just about as ready to give Drew a good clobbering as Ellen was me. There was no sympathy in those narrowed eyes. After Zack ground his teeth for a bit and Drew did some more smirking, Don George spread his arms out again. He looked to both competitors, receiving a nod from each. With a smile, he then said the magic words.

"Zack vs. Drew! And BEGIN!"

"Hmph, Roserade, let's show 'im how a coordinator does things!" Drew said as he released his pokéball, the Roserade appearing and doing a pirouette as she formed from the mass of white energy. She stared at Zack with a bouquet... a hand... an appendage pointed at him. Zack responded by pointing a finger back, although somehow his gesture seemed much more obnoxious. Then again, that might be because Roserade's fingers were made of petals, but who can say?

"You ain't winnin'! Martin! I choose you!" Zack called out, releasing his counter to Drew's assumptions of victory. It was a pretty nice counter. The creature that emerged was a mostly crimson-furred orb-shaped Pokémon. It had two furry arms which ended in two burly non-furry fists. It also had two stubby legs with feet that had opposable big toes. But what creeped me out about this Pokémon was that it had a gigantic toothy grin on its face to match the sinister look of those black gaping eyes and gigantic eyebrows resembling flames. Gives me shivers. Regardless, I took out my pokédex anyway.

_**"Darmanitan, the Blazing Pokémon, and the evolved form of Darumaka. Darmanitan switches from Standard Mode to Zen Mode when it has little energy left."**_

"Form changing Pokémon?" I said, still held in the air by the huffing and puffing Ellen. I glanced over to Arcade for a little help in that matter. He gave me a look that said his reply for him. That being: 'You're on your own'. I love my (supposed) friends so much.

"Martin! Start off with Fire Punch! Roast that rose!"

"Roserade! Petal Dance!"

"That's stupid!" Martin's fists both suddenly burst into flames as the ape began charging towards Roserade. Roserade, in turn, started spinning like a top, petals flying out of her flowers and flowing around her in the vortex that her spinning body was creating. "You think a bunch of petals are gonna stop Martin's-"

Hold that though. A bunch of petals were currently stopping Martin's Fire Punch. The wind currents surrounding Roserade drew the storm of fluttering petals into a miniature tornado which was sent flying at Martin. The simian's curled fists, upon making contact with the tornado, were knocked backwards, resulting in the Darmanitan falling over backward with a thump, his smile fading slightly.

"What in the-?" Zack spluttered just as Drew's smirk widened.

"Roserade! Now use Magical Leaf!" Drew wasn't letting Zack even gasp in disbelief. Not loosening up on the gas, Roserade pointed both her appendages towards Martin, a flurry of shining white leaves spun on a wind current right at Martin. Martin was struck without restraint, being sent tumbling back again, stopping on his face this time. "Hmph, what did I tell you?"

"RRRRRGH! MARTIN! GET UP!" Zack stomped his foot in unquenchable frustration. Meanwhile Drew (and most of the crowd) was eating it up. Zack's face flushed red as around half of the other competitors started laughing. I suppose having a fire type and losing to a grass type was kind of embarrassing. "Martin, we are NOT losing! Get. Up. NOW!"

"Roserade, Stun Spore! And make sure you don't miss!" Roserade jumped high, soaring in an arc towards Martin and landing on top of the fire type. She then pointed both her appendages directly at him, a sparkling bronze coloured powder emitting from them. The moment the powder made contact with the Darmanitan, the latter froze up. He didn't even cringe in pain. His body just stopped moving. The only sound you could hear from him was his heavy breathing.

"Oh crap..."

"Indeed. Roserade, wrap this up! Petal Dance!" Roserade leapt off Martin, beginning to spin as she did so. The petals then enshrouded her, developing into the tornado that caused a breeze to flow throughout the room. The wind currents battered my face, squinting my eyelids shut in order to resist them. The scent of flowers in full bloom was carried along with the winds. Martin was helpless as the tornado stirred up the dirt on the ground as it made its way forwards. The tempest struck, a roar erupting from Martin and a cloud of dust forming, completely shrouding the Darmanitan completely. Drew smirked. Zack grimaced.

"I think the fat lady just had her solo," I heard Arcade speak up. I looked back at the battlefield. Drew certainly thought the same as Arcade. His smirk was still glued onto his visage. He had this... aura about him. Like he'd done this a thousand times before. It was kind of like the feeling I got whenever I faced off against a gym leader. He was like a wall of experience, impassable and immovable. All of a sudden, I couldn't blame Zack for losing.

Y'know, if he actually did.

"Wha... What just..." Drew stuttered as the dust around Darmanitan cleared.

"No way..." Arcade said simply.

Similar utterances of disbelief popped up around me. They slowly got louder, becoming a choir of confuddled voices. It was easy to see why. Darmanitan had... changed to say the very least. All eyes were on the red Pokémon that no longer looked very red.

Martin was now sitting down. His stubby legs were curled under him, like he was trying to cross them but they were just too short to do so. His hands were at his sides and his arms seemed to have disappeared. His eyebrows had drastically shortened and were only yellow, like the flame had died down to a cinder. The eyes of the ape were wide open and his smile had turned to a frown. Furthermore, he was now blue instead of red.

"Oh no! Don't tell me-" Drew started to say. Darmanitan's grin then bled onto Zack's face.

"Zen form!" I spoke out loud. By the way, Ellen was just as invested in the match everyone else, but she was still suspending me by the collar. Not important... but... it was happening.

"That's right!" Zack declared, pointing right at Drew. "Now it's time to fight back! Martin! Let's give 'im a Psychic!"

"PSYCHIC?" A unanimous yell broke out through the crowd. I guess I must've been the only one who knew about the zen mode thing.

The sapphire on Martin's fur started to glow luminescently. And before Drew could think of a way to avoid it, a wave of invisible psychic power knocked Roserade into the air like a tennis ball. Drew clenched his teeth.

"Roserade! Recover using Mega Drain!"

"Nope! Overheat!" Martin opened his mouth slightly, releasing a gigantic onslaught of flame that turned up the temperature a few hundred degrees and lighting the walls in an orange radiance. Before Roserade could land from her trip into the sky, she was bombarded by the torrent of flame, the flowery fragrance leaving the air as the scent of burning invaded my nostrils. Roserade soared backward towards true, her body steaming as Darmanitan ceased the attack.

"Roserade!"

"Martin! Keep going! Psychic!"

"Shield yourself with Petal Dance!"

Roserade was a quick riser, easily twirling into her Petal Dance attack. In the seconds that it took the psychic power to reach Roserade, she had summoned a plethora of petals around her. The Psychic move blew away the petals into the air conditioned atmosphere surrounding me, but didn't harm Roserade herself.

"Roserade! Now use Magical Leaf!"

"Martin! OVERHEAT!"

"That's a bad idea Zack!" I yelled even though I knew he wouldn't pay attention.

"Why?" Ellen asked (still keeping me up by the collar, by the way).

"Overheat reduces in power the more you use it in a battle," Arcade explained for me.

**(AN: I know Overheat actually lowers special attack, but rpg logic and this story's logic... shouldn't mix.)**

"Bad idea? We'll see after we use it!" Zack countered. It wasn't a very good counter, but it was a counter nonetheless. Martin used Overheat (the attack featuring milder flames than the previous attempt) and Roserade made her own assault, sending Magical Leaf Martin's way. The end result was unexpected. The techniques were evenly matched. Overheat burned the Magical Leaves just as quickly as Roserade could spawn them. However, the mere speed and the force at which the leaves were flying at was managing to hold back Martin's assault. "Ha! More like the best idea! Pump up the juice, Martin!"

"Roserade! Combine Magical Leaf with Petal Dance!"

The flames of Overheat became slightly more potent as the storm of leaves from Roserade were joined by the petals Drew requested. It wasn't a very good situation for either of them. Drew had a type disadvantage and Zack still insisted on using Overheat, which was losing power by the second. If Ellen ever decided to let me go, this situation would be really tense for me (since at the moment, I was struggling to breathe). But Arcade said it was truly heart-wrenching later on. And who am I to argue with a man who I thought could express no emotion other than indifference when I first met him? Back to the match, something was going to give eventually. As it turned out, it was both of them. I don't know who was knocked off aim, but both moves spontaneously lost their contact with one another, passing one another like trains on two different tracks. However, they knocked into their targets in different ways. Martin, still immobile, simply tilted over and rolled onto his back like a swaying matryoshka doll. Roserade was knocked back and slid near her trainer's feet.

Both were down. Only one was out.

"Roserade is unable to battle!" Don George proclaimed as the Darmanitan rose up as if suspended by some invisible harness. Roserade stayed down, burn marks all over her leafy form. Zack started snickering madly through clenched teeth. Drew's smirk fell for the first time that day. "That means Zack and his Darmanitan is the winner!"

Ellen let me go in a state of shock, her hands trembling and eyes targeting onto Zack. Her eye was twitching like someone who had just taken the first bus out of an insane asylum. She seemed unable to comprehend what just happened. If I knew Ellen enough, then I knew what was coming next. As such, I attempted backing away. Of course, Ellen wouldn't have that. She grabbed ahold of my shoulders and began shaking me violently. My head bobbed back and forth so many times that I'm pretty sure anyone who wasn't as accustomed to pain as I was would've gotten their neck broken. It's a good thing I'm the world's only human punching bag.

"HOW DID HE LOSE? HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO LOSE! HE"S DREW! DREW!" Ellen screeched. "IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"

"Ellen! Stop! I'm gonna throw up!" I shot back.

"And that's the end of round one!" Don George yelled to the murmuring crowds. Their attention eventually faded back to the man (yes, even Ellen's) as Drew and Zack shook hands, Drew placing his hands in his pockets and walking off to become a wallflower. Zack returned to the sidelines with a triumphant sneer on his face, making sure to give Mikey that look on his way back. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed. "Congratulations to all competitors who've made it through so far! And spectacular fighting to all those who haven't. You get two days of break from battling. In about an hour we'll arrive at our destination of Battle Spire Isle! Round two and onward will take place there. So during the next two days, you are expected to do any last-minute training there. You will also be told who your next opponent will be directly before the beginning of round two. This will test your ability to adapt as a trainer. Are there any questions?"

"Uh... I've got one!" I spat out as I recovered from that last earthquake Ellen had simulated for me. I put up my hand, Don George looking over me with his intimidating posture. I gulped before continuing. "Uh... where's Mr. Igaul? I mean, he's running this thing, isn't he?"

It was true. This was supposedly Axel's tournament. But he had not yet made an appearance. The whispers from the masses broke out again, all asking where the elusive Johto Champion was. Don George shook his head and stomped his foot loudly, silencing all the gossip.

"Axel's busy on the island making final preparations!" Don George stated simply. I shrunk back as my face ran red. Why was it people were always seemingly angry when talking to me? Stupid me and my need for human interaction. "Is that it?" Everyone nodded. Even the losers of the day, albeit less rigorously. "Alright. In that case, enjoy the last hour of this boat ride! Good luck to those going into battle! May we all become united in the thrill of the battle!"

Another cheer broke out. I joined Arcade in not participating. Mostly because the room was still spinning.

* * *

><p>"So this is it, huh?" Ellen said reflectively as the three of us (well, four, counting Richter the Timburr) stared out at the water the boat was chugging through. We stood on the deck of the royal Unova, sounds of crew members entering and exiting the bridge behind us blended poorly with the sound of waves crashing against the metal ship below us. The smell of salt water was in the air, a slice of adventurous sea spray splashing upwards to meet my nose. Ellen giggled slightly as I wiped it off. Ellen then grabbed the heads of myself and Arcade and pulled the two of us into one of her dragon-choking headlocks. Arcade and I locked eyes, him quirking an eyebrow. The only reply I could give him was shrug. "Our first adventure as a team! Going to some mysterious island in pursuit of strength and glory!"<p>

"But I don't want-" Arcade started saying.

"Yep! Good stuff. They say a group of three is the optimum amount of people to make the most effective team!"

"I've heard three's a crowd," I said without restraint, knowing there was no way she was paying attention.

"Come on boys! Let's go to this island and find its secrets! We can do it! And with me as our leader, we just can't go wrong!"

"She's the leader?" Arcade whispered to me.

"Just go along with it dude, she calms down eventually," I replied knowingly. Arcade nodded, proceeding to stare off into space as Ellen kept talking.

As Ellen went on about teamwork or something, I thought about the situation. No matter who I faced next in this tournament, it would be a challenge. I had to admit, Zack had really improved since the last time I faced him. I already knew what Mikey was capable of, being able to trounce Ellen effectively. May would be a challenge. Cilan was... Cilan. Iris didn't look to tough while she was fighting, but her Emolga didn't seem to have too much experience. However, she herself was a true tactician. Ash was in the same boat as White as far as I was concerned. I suppose experience in four different regions made the equivalent to White. Gulp. Yuki was still as ruthless as he was last time. Cheren and Trip would be fun to beat. Bianca had gotten tougher (I'd like to take a little credit for that, greedily enough). As for Apollo and Mila, I didn't know what was going on with that family, but it couldn't be healthy. And then there was...

… Ellen herself. I looked at her as she started singing a song about keeping a good team spirit and such topics. She had become really strong since her battle with May. It wasn't so much that I was worried to fight her because she was my friend (though that was a factor) as it was that I might not be able to beat her. Man, there was only one way I would feel comfortable with fighting while looking at Ellen's face. And that was if I was fighting Alicia.

And speak of the devil, guess who decided to show up just as I was thinking that?

I felt a familiar sense of deja vu as something clasped at my belt, where I had clipped my pokéballs to them to be precise. This something yanked at my pokéballs, ripping them off my belt. I broke free from Ellen's grip, whirling around to find who else?

"Got it at last," Alicia said as she retracted a shiny new extenso, my pokéballs within their metallic grasp. I snarled at her as a grin spread like butter on her face. Arcade and Ellen turned as well, Ellen gaping at her sister and Arcade wondering what the hell was going on. "Game over loser. And I've won!"

Alicia didn't spare any time for me to make a smart-ass remark. Which is really a shame, because I don't know if you've noticed but I really enjoy doing that to her. Regardless, Alicia snatched one of her own pokéballs and opened it. What came out was a vulture-like Pokémon that had mostly black wings which were brighter at the tips. Its head had a tuft of 'hair' poking out of its head with a bone stuck through it. A tuft of feathers down with the appearance of an overcoat ran down its chest.

But enough about the Mandibuzz that I would be sure to check in my pokédex when my best friends were not being kidnapped. The Mandibuzz hovered above Alicia's head and the Team Plasma member grabbed onto the vulture Pokémon's talons, the avian taking off WITH Alicia in a stellar feat of strength. She headed out to sea and just out of reach.

And if she thought she was getting away, she seriously needed to stop underestimating me.

With a lightning hand and a careful eye, I reached into my bag and clasped my own extenso in my fingers. I pointed it at the fleeing Alicia, pulling the trigger. The extenso, reaching as far as it could, snapped shut on the hem of Alicia's uniform. I placed my foot on the railing of the deck for leverage and yanked the extenso with all my might like a fisherman reeling in a stubborn catch. Alicia didn't expect the resistance and was pulled backward along with the Mandibuzz. Unfortunately, I didn't expect to win out so easily. That resulted in myself falling backward as the trainer and Pokémon collided with me. My head hit the floor hard, cracking my skull for about the fiftieth time this adventure. Alicia fell on top of me a few moments later, knocking all the air out of my lungs. The extenso with my pokéballs in it, luckily enough, fell into the hands of Ellen. I heard Alicia snarl as I whimpered pathetically. Unbeknownst to me, she had just recalled her Mandibuzz who had hit her head harder than me, getting knocked out in the process. I opened my eyes and flinched as Alicia's stare bore into mine, utter hatred radiating from those orbs.

No time to dwell on that. In that second, the boat made a sharp turn. I could feel the shift in gravity and it made me sweat. The swerve of the boat, combined with the recently polished floor of the deck, caused Alicia and I to slowly slide to the edge of the boat. We both tried to get up, but we interfered with each other, getting tangled into a giant knot. Before we could tell each other to get off, we went over the edge, gravity quickly taking over as we plummeted off the boat towards the currents beneath us.

"Forget this! I'll have to try again later," Alicia said as she tossed a pokéball in the water, her Frillish emerging in the flash of light that followed. She landed on him, the pair paddling off in escape. I thought that two could play at that game and I reached for Witt's pokéball only to grope at thin air.

Oh snap, could this get any worse?

Black, Black, Black. You _need _to learn to shut your trap. Otherwise, you might have watched out where you were falling and thus, would've noticed your head was about to come in contact with a porthole that was jutting out from the boat. And maybe you could have stopped it from happening. And maybe you could prevent yourself from being knocked out cold. And maybe you would've been able to stop yourself from falling into the raging sea below.

One question: Why is it ALWAYS me?

**End of Chapter twenty-seven.**

**So... this is awkward... How have you all been? Remember me? The guy who never updates to save his life? Y'know... that jerk?**

**...Hi.**

**Next Chapter: Battle Spire Isle! Samurott Included!**


	28. Battle Spire Isle, Samurott Included

**Review Responses: Russetwing - Hee hee hee. You'll find out, MWAHAHAHA! Corless has indeed messed up how the Pokémon world works. No tree name. Ellen's catch phrase? Hmmm. Up up and away? No, too cliché. I'll work on it. Thanks again for the review. **

**ZXCVBNMEM / Emi - Find out... right now!**

**Greece's Kitty - It did at the time. Thank you very much for the review and... try talking to Hong Kong. See if they understand. **

**spyhunter7 - There's a reason for everything I write. Even if it's not quite clear at first, the importance of this "detour" will be brought up in time. **

**crimmadeline - Thank you!**

**Liveandlearn2 - Thank you very much. I'll be sure to check those novelizations out when you start them. The Litwick mystery is probably going to be the most long-running one but expect some development soon. Thanks, have a great life yourself! **

**Chapter 28: Battle Spire Isle! Samurott Included!**

_I continued to trudge through the marshy soil, the stench of the swampy water invading my nostrils. My Dwebble companion stuck close to my feet, the sounds of his claws squashing into the moist earth repeating incessantly. I stared at the path ahead, no change in the terrain yet on the horizon. _

_This uneventful walk was disturbed by bubbling in the water next to me. I stopped on the spot, my eyes darting to the rippling surface. The rate of the bubbles' appearances began to increase, my suspicions of danger evolving into an assurance. _

"_Back off," I said without moving. Dweb understood and scuttled backwards, getting out of range of the threat beneath the swamp. I stepped into the water, wading and waiting for this enemy to show itself. I was patient. The seconds ticked by as bubbles continued to spring to the surface. It was a question of time as to when the assault would come. _

_It came with a fury. A pillar of water shot from the pond, aiming directly for me. I fell back, propping myself up on my elbows. When the watery attack dispersed and droplets landed on my face, I glanced at the lake to find the face of a blue and cream coloured creature with a few black stripes on various sections of its body. _

"_YOU HAVE INVADED THE TERRITORY OF THE GREAT AND MIGHTY PALPITOAD!" The armless Pok__émon declared, hopping out of the water and glaring at me with fierce eyes. I didn't move or glare. I simply stared at him. He charged forward on his stubby feet, seeking my destruction. I dodged his advance and quickly stood up. He attempted to tackle me again with a desperate leap at me. I shifted out of the way again, this time clasping its flat, translucent tail in both hands and spinning round, tossing him into a nearby tree. With a decisive bonking noise, he fell defeated. _

"_Dweb," I said simply as I turned around, Dweb clicking at my heels. However, I stopped when I heard Palpitoad stand up, grumbling some nonsense. _

"_You there!" Palpitoad shouted. I proceeded to start walking again, only for the Pokémon to dash towards me, placing himself between me and my intended path. I stopped again, looking him in the eye. "You have bested me in combat warrior! I DEMAND YOUR NAME!"_

_I simply stared at him, witnessing a fierce determination circling his irises. I decided to walk around him, speaking as I did so. _

"_Very well. I used to be called-"_

I woke perfectly comfortable. I was surrounded by a warmth too satisfying to identify. I dug my head into the fuzzy pillow beneath it, relaxed and eager to fall asleep again. It was the kind of awakening where every movement allowed more comfort to seep into the body. The blanket draped over me was heavy and snug, yet it didn't make me feel restrained. Best bed I ever slept in.

Then my pillow started breathing.

My eyes widened to saucers. What I was hugging in my sleep wasn't a pillow. It was a Pokémon's paw that just so happened to be as large as myself. It was the deepest of blue and three claws poking out of the end of it. But the most peculiar thing about this paw was the gigantic slab of golden seashell-like material fixed upon it. It almost resembled the armor a samurai might wear. It was far more polished and a lot better quality, but I could still recognize it as the kind of material that scalchops of the Oshawott evolutionary family were made of. Which meant only one thing.

I turned my head to my left, finding a sea lion's head resting with its eyes closed on the other curled paw of this behemoth. The creature had multiple white mustache-esque whiskers that poked out of her muzzle. Yes, despite the 'mustaches' on her face, I was absolutely sure she was a female. Along with the facial hair, the creature had a giant horned shell on its head that looked like a helmet, also of the samurai theme. There was a reason for all of that.

"Samurott…" I said quietly so as not to wake it. I wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, I was over the moon about actually _seeing _a fully grown Samurott with my own eyes. On the opposite end, I was in the grip of a fully grown Samurott and could be crushed to death at any time. Both very attractive ways to feel. I groped at my side for my bag, finding nothing but a wet t-shirt.

It was then that I finally took stock on my surroundings. The first thing I noticed that my… ahem… bottom was wet. My bare feet touched sand and the fact that I was on a beach registered into my mind. However, I wasn't out in the open. I was in a tiny cove, a hunk of rock jutting out from the wall in front of me, giving us a makeshift cave. The heat of the morning sun warmed the back of my head. My bag and some of the contents within were strewn across the sand and against the rear wall, my jacket and hat lying forgotten alongside them.

As I was still in the iron grip of the Samurott, I reached out with my foot towards my jacket, entering the front pocket. I curled my toes around the pokédex within and I dragged it out, swiftly transferring it to the hand that was not being crushed by a Samurott's paw. I pressed the on button.

It didn't turn on.

I thought I hadn't held it down long enough. So I pushed it again. No response. In desperation, I tried again. No dice. Sweat poured down my brow like a waterfall. Oh meep. Oh meep meep meep meep meep. It had taken on water damage. Professor Juniper was gonna kill me.

I nearly gasped when I recalled the reason why. That was right, I had fallen off the boat and into the ocean. After thanking whatever majestic force that I was alive, I reasoned out the following events. I fell in the big blue, I got carried off by a Samurott, and she brought me here for some reason.

Not that I was ungrateful or anything, but I was desperately thinking of a way to escape the beast's grasp. Sure, she saved me today, but knowing my luck, she would probably eat me tonight. Just another day in the life of Black: Mediocre Pokémon Trainer. Unfortunately, she seemed to be holding me unnaturally tightly. I didn't think I would be able to slither out unnoticed. It was too heavy to even lift off of me. Maybe I was just weak, but this mammal had me in a death grip. Not even Bianca would be able to force her way out of this one.

But don't worry, it got a lot worse. She woke up. I froze, my insides shrinking in fear alongside my outsides. The Samurott opened her eyes slowly, yawning loudly before taking notice of me. I didn't need a pokédex to recall this thing's entry. The moment I stared into its intensely intimidating eyes, my stomach decided to take up acrobatics, the pokédex entry exceedingly clear in my head.

"_**Samurott. The Formidable Pok**_**émon.** _**One swing of the sword incorporated in its armor can fell an opponent. A simple glare from one of them quiets everybody."**_

I was quiet alright. And even worse, so was this Samurott. If she said something to me, to let me know what her intentions were, then at least I would know where I stood. But on the contrary, she just stared at me with those soul-crushing eyes. I swallowed hard. The word 'meep' would be an understatement now. I only hoped she bit my head off first to make it quick and painless. Maybe my wish was being granted. Because she opened her mouth. I flinched and shut my eyes, backing deeper into the sea lion's grip. Goodbye insanely cruel world.

"_So _rrr _awake _rott, sam."

I blinked my eyes open when I heard Samurott talking instead of munching. All of a sudden, the beast was smiling at me kindly, her eyes not seeming so jaw-droppingly terrifying anymore. The fear buzzing in my chest calming to a slight tingle.

"Um…" was all I was able to say. I was glad I wasn't getting dismembered. However, the mere fact that this powerful beast was holding me so close was still overwhelmingly ominous. The claws poking at my belly didn't help much either.

"_How do _mur _feel?"_

"Uh… I… feel… f-fine… thanks…"

"Rott. _Very _rott."

I felt her paw slacken a bit on my body, resulting in me attempting to get up. That attempt was instantly recorded as a failure when I put weight on my ankle. Something cracked (and I felt it) and I fell back into Samurott's waiting paw, moaning like an injured puppy as I placed my hands over the afflicted area. Before I could do that anymore, Samurott used her paw to put me in another one-armed hug, keeping my arms away from my ankle. She then placed her other fuzzy and warm paw on my chilly leg. It soothed the pain quite a bit and I let out an audible, "Ahhhhh."

"_This part of your body was struck when you fell. You shouldn't move it."_

"Yeah. Good advice…" It took me a second to remember what she was talking about. Then my memory hit me in the brain like a jackhammer. I recalled falling off the boat, hitting my head (which, amazingly didn't hurt that much), and then… nothing. That was the last thing lodged in my memory. And from what I could gather, I obviously didn't get saved by the crew of the ship. Which only left one candidate who could have rescued me from the ocean's depths. I looked back at the Samurott and smiled. I was kind of embarrassed that I was afraid earlier. She just saved my life (one of the few people besides myself whose done that) and I hadn't even thanked her yet.

"Uh… thanks for the… y'know… the rescue."

She nodded and continued to grin at me with kindness. I finally relaxed, going limp in the soft paw. I needed a comfortable bed for once. Getting knocked unconscious all the time really takes its toll, oddly enough.

"Tep! Tepig!" I heard the small and squeaky voice speak up from beside me. I looked over the friendly Samurott's paw and my eyes began to glitter. There, within arm's reach, stood a Tepig. A smiling, wild, and sitting-like-a-puppy Tepig. She had a leaf in her mouth that was curled at the edges, which made it shaped like a bowl. This shape helped to keep the water inside it _inside _it. The Tepig nudged the leaf closer to me and I scooped it up in both hands carefully. I nodded a thanks and gulped down the water, quenching the thirst that I hadn't noticed before. The Tepig grinned and trotted towards the Samurott's other paw, curling up in it. "Tepiiiiig!"

"_Thank you, little one," _Samurott said, nuzzling the Tepig on top of her head.

"_No problem mom," _Tepig said. I nearly groaned. It's not like the whole 'talking to Pokémon' thing made sense before, but the issue with this Tepig is that I went from not hearing her at all to hearing her perfectly within two seconds. I wished there was a good reason for this.

Wait a second, did that Tepig just call that Samurott mom? Granted, that's about the least weird thing I've ever seen, but it's still strange. Then again, my Deino calls me mom, so I have no right to judge. My curious expression remained, even as the two glanced over at me. When they didn't answer the unasked question, I decided to drop it and just sigh in relief. I was still alive and I was hanging out with a Samurott and a Tepig. Now if I only had my own Pokémon with me this would be perfect.

I smacked myself that time. I just realized my situation. I had been taken to some random island by some random Pokémon and something told me there would be no random boat to come on in and bring me to Battle Spire Isle. Not only that, but I couldn't call for help. My X-Transceiver had been waterlogged along with my pokédex. I tossed both of them aside angrily when my two caretakers weren't looking. Useless technology. Of course, I was dead when Carol wouldn't be able to reach me, but I figured I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. That burning, terrifying bridge.

"_Stay here now," _Samurott ordered before letting me go. I wasn't expecting it and fell back into the water. I emerged and shook my head rapidly, ejecting the moist droplets from my hair. I gazed over my shoulder, finding Samurott treading water with only her head above the rippling water. Tepig was at my side, wagging her tail as Samurott continued to speak. _"Little One. Make sure he doesn't move."_

I had to raise an eyebrow at that. Pudgy-Wudgy here was my bodyguard?

"_Okay mom. Be back soon, okay?" _Tepig replied happily. Samurott nodded and dove underwater. I sighed as she left, placing my head in my hands. I sat there in thought for a moment. I wasn't giving up on the tournament. I perused many theories on how to get there. Of course, the only plausible one that crossed my mind was getting Samurott to take me there and I'm too much of a wimp to ask another favor of an intimidating Pokémon that I already owe for saving my life.

As crazy (and I mean CRA-ZEE) thoughts ran through my head, I saw Tepig staring at me in the corner of my eye. I looked over seeing the pig wagging her tail as she smiled at me.

"_Hi," _she said cheerfully.

"Um… hey there."

"_What kind of Pokémon are you?"_

"Huh? I'm… a human."

"_Human? I've never met a human type before."_

Was she being serious?

"No, no, I'm not a Pokémon at all. A human is completely different!"

"_Really? I think I get it. So… what kind of attacks can humans use?"_

"What? Hey, when I say humans are different, I mean it! I can't use any attacks!"

"_WHAT?!" _This Tepig may have been small, but she had the voice of a megaphone. I was nearly toppled over by the supersonic shock wave that came out of her mouth. _"How do you guys survive?!"_

"Wait a second… you're yanking my chain, right? You've seriously never met a human?" Oh God, if this island was uninhabited then I may have never got off.

"_No," _she answered, shaking her head. A sorrowful look came across her, as if she had just stolen the last cookie out of the jar. _"But mom doesn't let me go out of our territory. So I only know other Pokémon."_

"Say… um… sorry, what should I call you?"

"_Mom always calls me 'little one'. I would like to be called big one for once."_

"So, you don't have a name?"

"_Name?"_

"It's what we humans call each other. For example, my name's Black."

"_I'm confused. Is a name the same thing as a colour?"_

"No, that's just _my _name. Sorry, forget it, that's a bad example. I call my Pokémon friends by name too. I call an Oshawott friend of mine 'Witt'."

"_Witt? Tee hee, that's very silly."_

"Is it now?" Well, those few minutes when I thought of Witt's name have officially been wasted. Thank you Ellen for not telling me it was silly. "Well, I have a Snivy friend I call Iva. And a Joltik friend who I named Joel. I call them those names instead of saying things like 'little one'."

"_Wow… can I have one?"_

"You… You want a name?"

"_Yeah! Come on. I never liked being called little one anyway."_

"Um… okay. Cool! Let's see… Tepig… Tep… no that's no good, I can't make a name out of that." I had to mull this one over for a bit. Ellen may have been annoying when saying it, but she was right. I was not too creative with these nicknames. I don't think I could do much damage with this one, however, seeing as she wasn't coming with me. "Um… how 'bout Amber?"

"_Amber?"_

Oh goodness me. From that look on her face, I think I just screwed up bad. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. And if her mom saw her crying then I don't think I would have any limbs attached to me at the end of the day. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and a smile broke out on her face seconds later. Phew, dodged yet another bullet. I was getting good at that.

"Okay, Amber. Can you tell me how long you've known your 'mom'?"

Amber tilted her head at me, saying, _"That's a silly question. Mom's always been here with me. Mom and I have always been together."_

"So you've really never left this place? Not once?"

"_No. It's my home. You live around here too, don't you?"_

"No. I don't live on an island. I live on the mainland."

"_Main… land?"_

"O'course. There's other places besides here, y'know."

"_THERE ARE?!" _Amber screeched again. Note to self: Buy some earplugs.

"Of course there are! My friends and I are travelin' around. And I personally am trying to go to as many new places as possible."

"_Wow, that must be fun."_

"You don't even know the half of it. Y'know, this one time-"

And so I sat there, telling Amber all about my journey. From my fated conversation with Professor Juniper that granted me my now destroyed pokédex to the boat ride that resulted in our meeting. She reacted perfectly to every scenario I played out for her. She let out a cheer at the part about Tony dominating Panpour in battle. She gasped at the bit where I found out Alicia was after the Victini. She 'awww-ed' when Iva came around to liking me. Around the time I started talking about my gym battle with Lenora, Amber migrated to my lap, keeping her attention glued to me. I hardly noticed as I continued, a strange look coming into Amber's eyes. I still paid it no mind, too busy explaining my encounter with N in Castelia. It may sound preposterous, but she was a good listener, taking in every word. It's good to meet a Pokémon with no deadly intentions.

Around the part I was talking about my first tournament battle with Perry, Amber decided to hop off of me. The splashing sound behind me indicated the reason why. I looked back, seeing Samurott returning with her teeth clenched around a rather thick tree branch, a multitude of apples hanging from the subsequent branches. I wondered how until I realized that she must have gone around this island to a place where these trees grew. And to cut one down, well, she had a very reliable knife.

Amber hopped up to one of the apples, digging her teeth into the skin and ripping the fruit off the bark. She landed and chomped into the apple. Contrary to her being a pig, she took exactly three bites and then collapsed on her side. I blinked rapidly in confusion.

"Um… you okay?" I asked.

"_Mmm… full…" _she replied simply. I sighed. Pokémon and their strange eating habits.

"_Ahem," _Samurott spoke up. I looked over and saw her shaking the branch towards me. I picked one of the apples off carefully. I brushed it clean on my shirt, smiling before biting into its juicy form.

"Thanks."

"_Lie back," _Samurott said with no acknowledgement of my gratitude. I didn't understand the meaning until she wrapped a paw around me and pulled me into her cushiony hold again. Resistance was not an option, comfortable fur surrounding my body again, the salty smell of the ocean invading my nostrils at full blast. She curled her other paw around Amber. After she had gotten me into resting position, she put the warm paw holding me onto my injured ankle, bringing that great feeling into my leg again. _"Rest."_

_Rest? I JUST woke up, _I thought. It was perplexing as to why she was giving this order, until I glanced at where the sun had been this morning. Holy Miltank, I hadn't noticed how long I had been retelling my story to the Tepig! The great yonder was already being blanketed in darkness. I saw a star or two blink into existence as I stared. Wow, do I really go on like that?

Actually, don't answer that.

* * *

><p>As the night went on, I shut my eyes and took deep breaths, but made a concerted effort not to fall asleep. I supposed the best (or rather, the only) way to thank the Samurott for her kindness was to get out of her fur as soon as possible. Plus, for a bit of a more selfish reason, I wanted to get to the tournament. There had to be at least one human here. And if there wasn't… well, I would have to cross that bridge when I came to it. Fortunately, Samurott was deep in sleep this time and her grip on me slacking. I gently picked up the appendage in both hands, placing it deftly by my side. So as not to put too much strain on my injury, I crawled over to my stuff like a child, quietly, bringing my bag over my shoulder and donning my cap. It felt good to have that head protection back.<p>

However, when I grabbed my jacket and lifted it off the sand, there was something else under it. As I silently brushed off clusters of sand on my jacket, I saw something small and similar in shape to a seashell jutting out of the sand. The composition of the shell was nothing like a regular seashell. It slightly reflected the sliver of moonlight shining into the miniature cave. I clasped the shell, fiddling with it between my hands. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but I could feel the smooth texture of it.

"What the heck?" I said softly so as not to wake the samurai sea lion. The shape of it felt familiar. It was so familiar that I just had to put my finger on it before I could leave. It was bugging the ever-loving hell out of me.

When I placed it in my mind, I let go of the object, butterflies swarming into my stomach like an army. This shell was not an ordinary one. I'd seen it many times, bashing the heads of Pansages, Scraggys, and Mincinnos alike.

It was the scalchop of an Oshawott.

I heard an interruption in Samurott's snoring, a repetition of angry snarls replacing it. I looked over as an anvil fell on my heart. Fortunately, she hadn't awoken. Unfortunately, she was groping at thin air. I gulped. She was searching for me. Without hesitation, I slid comfortably into her grasp again. Her growling faded, returning to contented sleeping noises. I sighed out in relief. My eyes scanned the sands for the scalchop. However, my limited eyesight was unable to locate it. But still, I had to wonder where it came from despite this. It could have belonged to that Samurott. When an Oshawott or Dewott evolves, it leaves its old scalchop behind and grows some new ones. And yet somehow, it felt odd to think that way.

Why hadn't I left yet? To this day I don't know. But I looked at this Samurott for a while. I felt how she was holding me so tightly. Almost… protectively. I took notice of how close she had her head to Tepig. She nuzzled the pig occasionally, but not out of affection. This contact came regularly, like clockwork. It was the kind of inspection someone on patrol would make. It was like she was checking to see if Amber was still there.

I grinned and stroked Samurott's paw, warranting her to grip me a tad tighter. It was crushing my lungs, but I put that aside. This was one Formidable Pokémon with a heart of gold. It was a weird feeling. I knew I should be skedaddling, but it kind of felt… good to be there. Oh well. I would never figure it out on my own. I shut my eyes and relaxed, hoping to fall asleep for the night.

And I would have had a certain group of people decided to leave me alone for once.

All of a sudden, searing white lights bombarded our location. The tiny shadowy cove was suddenly brighter than the pearly gates. My eyes burned, pupils painfully contracting. I blocked my face with both forearms, quickly regretting that decision as I had no support for when my makeshift mattress vanished beneath me. I fell back into the water, sitting up and squinting my eyes open as I shook my head rapidly to clear the water out of my hair. My head buzzed with the intensity of a bee hive, a commotion meeting my eardrums.

"_Mom!"_

"_Flee little one!"_

I opened my eyes despite the searing layer of agony plastered like contact lenses on them. What I saw sprung me into action faster than Tony when he sees chocolate cake. All I was able to see in the intense light was the furry back paw of Samurott being dragged around the cove's corner. And from the tone Amber just shouted in, it probably wasn't for a party. Thinking fast, I reached into my pack and felt the chilly handle of the extenso fall into my fingertips. I tore it out of the bag and shoved the opposite end into the sand and pulling the trigger. I was shot onto my feet by the technologically advanced crutch, my injured ankle hovering above the ground thanks to the mechanical foot. Putting my weight on Alicia's invention, I gave myself a third uninjured leg. It took me one or two seconds to adjust to the new walking pattern, but when a friend's in trouble, you'd be surprised how fast you can adapt. I rounded the corner, a roar pounding at my ears.

Samurott was in a net, sprawled out on the beach. I couldn't see much other than that due to the lighting conditions, which were better than one might think. Several portable spotlights had been set up at the perimeter of the sands, each one setting the coastline ablaze in a steaming white light. Samurott was putting up a decent fight despite the net, snarling at her captors and biting at the net vigorously. She reached for her seamitars, her paws just as fast as the pokédex entry said. Unfortunately, her swift efforts could not pre-empt the Electro Ball attack of an adjacent Galvantula. I gulped. That arachnid was am lot bigger than the one Zack had. Or maybe that was situational, keeping in mind who he belonged to.

"It's not giving up! Stop making such a fuss!" The first of these two individuals ordered Samurott, giving her a kick. Needless to say, that action drew out a furious growl from my throat.

"Come now, let's not struggle needlessly. You're becoming part of something bigger than yourself!" The second and final of these two continued. And the next two words cemented my attitude at that moment.

"Pokémon Liberation!"

"Oh _hell _no," I said simply, drawing the attention of both the two Team Plasma members as well as their two companions, Galvantula and a Pokémon shaped like a jagged boulder with three rock chunk limbs protruding from her (yes, it may be a rock, but it was a 'her'). This Pokémon also had a hole in its face with a yellow striated border, giving it the appearance of having eyes. Red crystals jutted out of this Pokémon's body at random points. Me, being a Pokémon nerd, recognized her instantly as a Boldore.

"What do you want kid?" The male plasma member questioned me grumpily. Seeing as how he was the one who kicked Samurott, he was my more hated of the two. And that's a hard position to keep with Team Plasma grunts. "Can't you see we're busy recruiting?"

"Recruiting? Uh huh. No… you're not. You're capturing that Samurott. Only unlike with the painless pokéball way, you've decided to make it ten times more painful for Samurott and for yourselves when I'm done with you."

"_Don't…" _I heard Samurott speak up in between rasps as volts kept running through her body. I gave her a look and I smiled. I really had nothing to go on. Don't think for a second I had a plan, because I didn't.

"Keep your nose out of it kid," the woman said, about to return to her activities. I really don't like it when people ignore me. The mere fact that she was a Team Plasma member gave me so much pleasure when I did what I did next. In a combination of rage, adrenaline, and pure force of will, I shunted my balance onto my undamaged leg and pointed the extenso at the back of the woman's head, pulling the trigger. There was no remorse from my end when the claw collided with her hooded head which caused her to tumble face-first into the sand grains. I retracted the claw and reformed my crutch, grinning like a child who got a puppy for Christmas.

"YOU LITTLE-!" The woman screamed at the top of her lungs. She whirled around, her face contorting into an expression that would make White in a bad mood jealous.

"I'm sorry, did I break your concentration?"

"We are going to kill you. Human life is not worth much. You do realize this?"

"Come on then. Take your best shot! Let's see how far you get!"

"_W-Wait," _I looked at my feet as I heard that voice. It was Amber. She was shivering uncontrollably, her face in the dirt and her eyes shut like a pair of bank vaults. _"C-Can't we just talk to them? Maybe they'll let mom go."_

"No," I said simply, glaring at the pair of Plasma grunts. I heard Amber's head emerge from the dirt a tad. "Sometimes… y'gotta fight. Especially when it's Team Plasma."

"_But you're not a Pokémon. Y-You said you don't have any moves. You c-can't fight!"_

"True. Very true. But I got a couple tricks up my sleeve."

"Galvantula!" The female shouted. "Show this ignorant fool the real power of Plasma!"

"Really? Did you just call me an ignorant fool? Can you say, 'Cliché'?"

"Galvantula! Kindly shut him up with a Thunderbolt!"

"Free tip: I don't shut up," I said as I shot the extenso another time, this time at Boldore. As Galvantula prepped that Thunderbolt, the claw latched onto one of Boldore's crystals. Just before the spider fired, I fell back and gently threw the extenso up in the air. I hit the sand comfortably as the passing Thunderbolt narrowly missed me and instead struck the slightly airborne extenso. Needless to say, when electricity strikes a conductive metal (which I hoped the extenso was made of), it passes right through to the other end, shocking whatever happens to exist on that side. Instead of receiving the voltic treatment myself, I decided to hand it over to Boldore. I wish I could've hit the male grunt, but Boldore was closer. I heard a gravely roar of pain from Boldore's direction. Ouch. That had to sting. Even if he did only take half damage from that by being a rock type.

"Crafty little minx…" The male grunt said as Boldore's grunting ceased. "How dare you interfere with us! Who are you?"

"The name's Black," I replied, grabbing the extensor and retracting it so I could put myself on my feet again. "And I'm the guy who messes with you guys. Because it makes me happy."

As I was saying this, my gaze was focused on Samurott. She was recovering from that last shock, albeit slowly. Alone, I had nothing to go on besides a few ideas I had for the extenso. But that could only get me so far. Especially if they decided to start using Boldore. But if Samurott could get on her feet… well, that would be a different story. The only question then would be how many pieces these goons would wind up in.

"Forget him," said the man. The woman looked at him like he had just burned down her house. "We've got to recruit this Samurott before tomorrow. It will be a huge asset when we attempt to recruit Terrakion."

"T… Terrakion?" I blurted out dumbly. The woman facepalmed.

"You idiot!" she screeched. "Don't shoot your mouth off!"

"Oh crap! Sorry. Maybe he didn't hear me."

"HE JUST REPEATED WHAT YOU SAID! Why'd I get stuck with you? I thought only the best of the best were permitted to enter Gorm's Legendary Initiative."

"Legendary Initiative y'say?" I repeated her words, a smug grin crawling up my face. This time, the man facepalmed.

"Who's shooting their mouth off now?"

"Say," I said, wanting to stall the two of them while Samurott collected herself. But I also got a killer idea. It was a long shot, but I was betting on this idea being the case at hand. "Does this initiative have a gal named Alicia in it?"

"Gah! Stop asking questions!" Well, there went that gambit. "Boldore! Use Rock Blast!"

My insides twisted into a balloon animal as a slab of rock on Boldore's face began to glow. And before I could think about falling backward to avoid it, the slab shot out of Boldore's body like a cannon, a similar slab sliding into place to replace it. I tumbled, but I wasn't going to be fleeing its range at this rate. I shut my eyes, preparing to have my brains splattered across the beach in one swift blow from that bullet train of a rock.

I hit the sand without incident. An explosion mere inches from my face sounded, small chunks of rocks battering my face. First of all, ow. Second of all, I'm glad that was just an 'ow' and an 'OH VARIOUS GODS, MY FACE'. However, I had to ask why. And when I opened my eyes, any desperate, sad, and impossible prayer I could've made in the moments before Boldore attacked came to fruition as my eyelids spread apart. And I've never been more happy or confused to see someone.

"_No hurt Mama! NO HURT MAMA!" _Perry the Deino barked at Team Plasma as he stood tall directly in front of me, one of his front paws stamping the earth like an angry bull. After working out that he must've destroyed that Rock Blast with a Dark Pulse, I used the extensor to spring myself onto my feet, grinning like a madman. The Plasma grunts clenched their teeth, joy springing around inside me.

"_Yeah!" _I heard another familiar, yet squeaky, voice speak up. I looked at Perry for the answer and blinked rapidly in surprise. There was a Joltik on his head. My Joltik.

"Joel… Perry… You guys are here!" I shouted righteously, pumping a fist in the air. I didn't know how or why they were here, but I thanked whatever majestic force who sent them to aid me for doing so.

"No way! You're a Pokémon trainer?" The Plasma woman yelled, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"What was your first clue, Sherlock? Perry use Dark Pulse on Galvantula! Joel, let's get some Electro Ball action on Boldore!"

"Galvantula! Let Plasma's strength shine with a-" Fortunately, the woman was too busy making a spectacle out of her attack orders to complete them in time. Both Pokémon struck the bull's eye, making Galvantula roll onto his back, legs dangling in the air pathetically, and Boldore to stagger.

"Here's a tip! Say what you wanna say. Don't be so pretentious about it. Or this'll happen! Perry! Headbutt on Galvantula! Joel, use Electro Web on Boldore!"

"Galvantula! Recover and use Electro Ball!"

"Boldore! Use Power Gem!"

Perry charged, but the tarantula was incredibly resilient. He rolled over onto his feet, eyes locked on the approaching Deino. The surging ball of electricity surged between his mandibles and he fired, sending Perry flying into the sand from the impact with the orb. As for Joel, his pursuit was more successful. Boldore's many crystals lit up, each of them releasing a gem that showered over Joel like shrapnel. Joel, being the size he was, managed to slide in between the crystals. Keeping up this pace, the insect scampered underneath Boldore, spinning the Electro Web up and entwining each of Boldore's feet together like a pair of shoelaces. After veering out of the impact site, Joel avoided Boldore after he tripped himself while trying to walk over the voltic wire. Joel clicked his incisors together in joy.

"Get up Boldore! Don't you care about liberation anymore?"

"Don't answer that Boldore!" I said, a sinister smirk coming upon me. "Instead, take this! Joel, use Electro Ball and end it!"

"Galvantula! Use your Electro Ball to counter!" Uh oh. I forgot about him. He charged an equally powerful sphere and launched it, coming in contact with the orb Joel had just crafted. Unfortunately, Joel was inches away from the resulting explosion and was sent tumbling, stopping directly next to Perry. They both got up, thankfully, but it was on shaking legs. Boldore followed suit, tearing the electric thread apart on his way up. Gulp. Maybe I shouldn't have given them that tip. When Plasma decides to get their act together, I forgot that they _really _get their act together. Just look at Alicia.

"Surrender now! We truly don't wish to keep harming potentially free Pokémon. Let this be over so your Pokémon will be free in the wild once more!" The woman stated pompously, literally sticking her nose up to me. I wrinkled my face into a sneer.

"Oh, I guess you're right you self-righteous PIG! No offense there, Amber."

"Wha… What did you just say to me?"

"Did I stutter? I ain't givin' up! And before you say anything, I ain't running either! You condescending creeps think you're so smart with your _speeches _and your _'ideals' _and your _'truth' _and whatever other crap you regurgitate hourly. Well I got news for you. I don't give one tenth of a damn! And neither does the rest of the world! If Pokémon wanted to leave us, wouldn't Joel and Perry here just blast me in the face with superpowered attacks?"

"Clearly you've corrupted their minds."

"I'M A TWELVE YEAR OLD KID! WHAT THE HELL COULD I POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT BRAINWASHING?! Look, I'd go on and on about how your entire group doesn't make sense, but I don't have to."

"I see, so you _are _coming to your senses and submitting to the truth."

"More like… passing the baton."

"What are you babbling about?" The man asked. That's an ironic statement for someone wearing that uniform. But when he turned around to see what I was babbling on about, I didn't think he'd be making any more statements for a long time.

"I've been talking for a while, haven't I? Y'see, I wasn't sure how this battle was gonna go at first. I believe in Perry and Joel, and I don't think we were going to lose, but I guess we'll never know since this battle is already over."

"Because you wish to set your Pokémon-"

"Do me a solid. Shut up and lemme talk. Your voice annoys me. I would like nothing more than to pummel you myself. But, y'see, all you've been doing for the past ten minutes is fighting me. Now, what _should _have you been doing? I'll tell you. You should've kept your eyes on Samurott."

They seemed to realize it at about half the speed I had. Realization dripped slowly down their mugs simultaneously as a lion's snarling broke out from behind them. Specifically, a sea lion. The two Plasma goons slowly spun around together, their eyes laying on the sight I had been stalling so long for them to see. I grinned as irrefutable smugness flowed through my veins. Oh, this was gonna be so much fun to watch.

Samurott had found her second wind. In the time it had taken Joel and Perry to have a quick mini battle with them, the Formidable Pokémon had torn through the net with her teeth, narrowed eyes falling intimidatingly on her two would-be captors. She got even more intimidating when her forepaws left the ground, the water Pokémon standing on her hind legs. She looked down upon the pair like a vengeful deity, one of her paws curling around the handle of the seamitar on the opposite leg. She drew the sword, the blade beginning to glow in the watery sapphire aura of Razor Shell. Naturally, the two humans ducked to avoid the sea lion swinging the sword, the blade slicing off the top of their hoods. However, they weren't her targets. The end result of this assault was a massive 'CLANG' breaking out when the sword impacted with Boldore, sending him flying like a kite into the shallow ocean waters, fainting upon landing. Before Galvantula could defend himself, Samurott was already through with him. She swung the sword vertically, crushing the arachnid beneath the gargantuan girth of the seamitar. And yes, he too had fainted.

The two Plasma members looked up, quickly whirling their heads around to find their fainted soldiers. They gulped audibly, both shivering as they gazed up at the Samurott who just glared at them with an almost demon-esque hatred. I smiled again. I was right. This was fun to watch. Samurott raised bother swords skyward, preparing to strike upon these morons like pieces of metal. They both thrust their arms in front of their faces, as if that would protect them. I flinched and shut my own eyes, not even wanting to look at what this Samurott was about to do.

All I heard was the sound a shovel might make when thrust into dirt. I opened my eyes cautiously, letting out a breath of relief when I saw the situation's reality. Samurott had thrust both blades into the hems of the Plasma robes, essentially pinning them to the beach.

"Phew," I said as I plopped onto the ground, worn out from both the lack of sleep and the adrenaline leaving my system. Perry, just to spite me, leaped into my lap and licked my face multiple times, Joel crawling his way up to my head and nibbling my earlobes gently out of affection for a bit. Yep, life with my usual family in a nutshell.

"Is that Black?" I flinched when I heard my name, looking over my shoulder. My smile became open-mouthed when I saw my friends steadily entering the lit area of the beach. Ellen was first, soon followed by Iva, Witt, Tony, and even Arcade (though he seemed less than thrilled to be up and about at this hour). Ellen rushed over, kicking up sand on her way. But before she could clamp her arms around me like death's own grip incarnate, I felt a pair of leafy arms do that instead around my neck. Iva's hug signalled for Ellen to back off, which she did more than happily. "Good to see you."

"Ellen. Arcade. Everyone. How'd you get here?"

"Black…" Arcade started to say, yawning before he continued. "You're on Battle Spire Isle."

"Say what now?"

"When you fell off the boat, we tried to get help, but we saw a Samurott emerge from the water before we could. You were on its back. It saved you and we saw it headed for this island. We were close enough to it to see that."

"Yeah!" Ellen decided to take over the explanation, smiling sweetly even with Iva sending death threats with her eyes. "So after we docked, we asked around in the town on this island about any Samurott that could've taken you and all the people we asked pointed us in this direction. The authorities and us have been looking all night for you."

"The authorities? You mean the police?"

"Uh huh. Team Plasma has been sighted on this island recently, so when we told the police what happened, they decided to escort us. They're right behind us I'm sure. But I thought that was silly. Why would Team Plasma be awake and scheming evil things at this time of night?"

"So only they're allowed to sleep at this hour?" Arcade said softly so she wouldn't hear.

"Really? I doubt that." I replied to Ellen's words, ignoring Arcade for the moment.

"Why?"

"Look." I said simply, pointing to the incapacitated Plasma peons. Ellen went from happy mode to furious mode, my fear for my life returning with a vengeance. I tapped her on the ankle to get her attention. "Ellen. Let's let the police take care of it."

Ellen roared louder than Samurott ever could.

* * *

><p>"So, thanks for all your help, both of you." I said to Samurott and Amber as the authorities took away my arch enemies in handcuffs. I had been asked a few questions, given a blanket and some hot chocolate and sent on my way. Overall my first experience with the cops was a pleasant one. Now, if only I could get Ellen to stop punching thin air since she didn't get to punch any Plasma Team Members. The rest of my friends stood behind me (save for Iva around my neck), waiting for my final farewells. I bowed in gratitude towards Samurott, a happy grin on my face and a somewhat sorrowful one on hers. Amber was on her mother's back, giving her best version of a gleeful hug as she listened to my words as well. "I don't think I'd be around right now if it weren't for you."<p>

"_I helped you because you needed it. There is no need for thanks," _Samurott replied, nodding her head. I shook mine.

"When someone saves my life, it's more than deserving of thanks. I can't thank you enough."

"_No need. You… You… I suppose you're going now?" _I stared into Samurott's eyes. I stared deep. Those eyes… I'm not sure why, but I felt sad looking into them. She didn't want me to go.

So I wouldn't. For a while.

"Actually… I don't much care for hotel room beds."

"… _I'm sorry?"_

"Arcade says… he's a human healer of sorts… tells me that I need proper rest for this ankle. And I don't think a rented room bed is gonna help that."

"_You…"_

"So… can I crash with you tonight?" I asked, being as sweet as I could be.

Amber was excited when Samurott nodded. I nodded back, immediately feeling a battering ram hit me in the spine as Perry, Witt, Tony, and Joel all charged into my back. I fell into Samurott's waiting paw, comfort instantly flowing into me. I laid back, waving goodbye to Ellen and Arcade as they headed off for the hotel. I finally got my good night's sleep that I'd been craving all night. I fell asleep comfortably for once. Not knocked out by hitting my head, falling over a waterfall, or by supernatural influence. For once, I got a comfy sleep. Thanks Samurott. I would need the sleep. The next day, the tournament on Battle Spire Isle would truly begin. The next day, I would see the true power of my peers.

And more importantly, the very next day, Team Plasma's true plan would be put into motion.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Eight.**

**Hey everyone. At least this one came sooner, right? Yeah... so I kind of rushed with this one... so... tell me what you think?**

**No next chapter title this time because... you'll see.**

**Question: Favourite Unova Pokémon?**


	29. Round Two: Black vs White!

**Review Responses: ZXCVBNMEM – Maybe. *Sweats and attempts to think of a plot twist unsuccessfully***

**Russetwing – Your theory might have some merit. Then again, it might not. No spoilers! No matter how long it takes me to write. Though I will say that I might have a solution to the problem if what you say ends up happening. Not saying it will. Thanks again for the beta-reading!**

**Potayto – Thank you!**

**LiveandLearn2 – Yep, Samurott's a mom. A lover, not a fighter. Through she will fight if necessary. Witt is still an Oshawott. For now, anyway. Y'wanna know a funny thing about Axel? I made him before even hearing about Kingdom Hearts. Thanks for the review! It's truly appreciated. **

**Spyhunter7 – Actually I had this planned all along, but that was great guessing on your part. That's pretty nice of you to say that you've already become attached to Amber and Samurott. We'll be seeing some more of them in this chapter, so I hope it satisfies you. **

**Raikahoken – I'll try as soon as I remember how to update regularly. Sorry!**

**Ashley Eon – Wow… thanks. That means a great deal! Free hug if you want it!**

**So yeah, I started playing Black 2… and then realized I hadn't updated this thing in, like, three months. Oops. My muse is a harsh mistress, my friends. Also, my depression has kind of snuck up on me these past couple of months and I think it might have affected my writing. Let me know if this chapter is different in any way. **

**Speaking of the writing, we've got ourselves a beta-reader. My good friend, Russetwing, has graciously accepted my request to beta read. Check her out. Especially if you're a Pok****émon Platinum, Fire Emblem, or Warriors fan. Even if you're not, read her fics anyway! She's awesome! I even have a collaboration fanfic with her called "Celestial Collision". **

**Also, remember, if your OC loses, these standings were made to be completely random. I had no control. **

**My answer to last chapter's question: Braviary.**

**Chapter 29: Second Round, Black vs. White**

"There y'go, all fixed up," Axel Igaul said as he fiddled with my X-transceiver. After closing the device in his hand up with a screwdriver, he brought his strange pen-like device to the device and started it with a whirring noise, the tip lighting up with its usual sapphire glow. Something clicked inside the device and he then handed it back to me. With a grin on my face, I snapped the gadget around my wrist and hit the on switch, praying hard. To my joy, it turned on.

"Thanks Mr. Igaul," I said, playing with my gadget some more just to make sure it was all good. Axel sighed.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times Blackster. Axel is my name."

By chance, I had run into the silver-haired champion on my way to the tournament. Battles Spire Isle wasn't just named as it was for show. There was a spire-like mountain sitting smack-dab in the middle of the island, surrounded at the base by trees. When I had encountered Axel, he had been staring at the mountain with some kind of purpose. His eyes were narrowed and his arms were crossed, as if the mountain had ticked him off in some way. But he, as he usually did, changed immediately when he saw me coming in all my fanboy-weirdness. He had offered to fix my X-transceiver and I was more than happy to accept.

"Sorry, I can't fix your pokédex. That thing's beyond my ability."

"That's okay. I don't think it's in any state to get fixed anyway," I explained, a tone of disappointment escaping my voice. Poor me and my lack of a pokédex. I loved that thing so much.

"Well, Professor Juniper's supposed to be coming around later. Maybe you can ask her about it."

"Really? Thanks! You invited her?"

"'Course I did! I need her help with something anyway."

"Does it have anything to do with why you're over here instead of where the tournament's going to start?"

"Don't think about stuff like that Black. Just go on, the proceedings start soon. You're gonna be late."

"But… it's your tournament. I'm kinda curious why you haven't shown your face yet. I mean, no disrespect or anything-"

"Hey Black," Axel began as a slight sly grin crept over him. I gulped. I knew that look. I saw it every time I watched one of his matches. This was his 'winning strategy smirk' as I had come to call it. Gulp. "I think Kenya wants to say hello."

Wait… did he just threaten to sick the Dragonite on me if I didn't leave him alone? I wasn't gonna take the chance. Sweat immediately started pouring down my face like miniature waterfalls. Axel reached for his pokéballs and I did the only thing I could think of. Run away screaming like a little girl.

"NO THANKS! I'LL TALK TO HIM LATER!" I screeched as I dashed through the woods, nearly running directly into several trees. Luckily, I still had enough of my wits about me to dodge them all as I passed through them like fire. Eventually the adrenaline shut off and I was panting my way through, but fortunately it was when I was at the forest's edge. I passed in between the last two trees of it and stepped onto a rather marshy meadow.

I raised my head up, seeing a gigantic crowd of trainers in the meadow, all of them surrounding what seemed to be an outdoor stage. A very…dilapidated wooden outdoor stage. Cracks were abundant in the wooden planks holding it up and it didn't look like it would support more than one person, let alone the giant flat-screen sitting on top of it with the words 'Battle Spire Isle Tourney' glowing on it. Creative.

"Hey Black!" I heard Ellen's voice. I glanced over at the leftmost side of the crowd, seeing Ellen waving at me and Arcade giving me a nod. I ran over, Ellen giving me the death hug when I got there. This time though, I heard her take a whiff of me and she instantly let go, pinching her nose. I gave her a quizzical look. "Sorry, it's just, you smell like wet Herdier. I'll hug Arcade instead."

"Wait wha-?" Arcade spluttered before Ellen gave him the death hug. Of course, he responded by giving me the death glare.

_Thank you Samurott, _I thought, gleeful that I once again managed to avoid getting my ribs crushed.

"EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!" Don George's voice broke through my Samurott praise. I looked over the stage, as well as the other tournament participants. Don George had managed to sneak his way up there without anyone noticing. Stealthier than he looked. And ironically, he didn't need a microphone to make his voice ring out through the island. Strange guy. The other fourteen in the crowd had their eyes on him as he pumped a fist in the air, his eagerness for battling reflected on his face with a giant dumb grin. "First up, congrats to all sixteen of you for making it this far! Now, there are a few ground rules we've gotta set up before we begin the fighting! First of all, even though you were able to stay in the hotel in the village, you are not permitted to go any further into the village on this island."

Murmurs broke out through the trainers. Some about the reasons why and some just complaining that they wouldn't be able to get any shopping done. A single clearing of the throat from Don George, however, shut them all up.

"The reason being is simple. I don't suppose any of you are aware of the legend of this place?"

The motions that the heads all around me took resounded to a big fat 'no'.

"It's very simple. Long ago, in ancient Unova, there was a war. A war started by mankind that threatened to burn Unova to the ground, endangering the lives of humans and Pokémon alike. However, three Pokémon stepped up to save the Pokémon. They were known as the Musketeer Trio. Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion. The three guided the Pokémon through the fires and the floods, guiding them to separate safe areas. One of those areas was this island. It was, apparently, originally a peninsula. However, Terrakion, the strongest of the three legendary Pokémon, destroyed the land leading to the island, staying there with the Pokémon and the native humans of the island, protecting them. To this day, Terrakion is said to still be here."

The crowd was silent. Not because we were shocked about the legend, but because we didn't expect Don George to be this coherent when talking about mythology. He didn't seem to notice.

"The people here don't take too kindly to outsiders, not letting too many people here at a time. However, this tournament takes place here because of its significance in Unova mythology. So as to honor Terrakion's strength, I hope you all show his spirit the battles of a lifetime. Usually, when it comes to battling, you should leave everything to me. But this time, I'm leaving it to you. SO GET READY!" We all jumped from the sudden outburst. "Let's get this started! Here are the matchups for round two as well as where on the island the battles will take place! The info you're about to hear will be uploaded directly with your X-Transceivers! So turn 'em on!"

Wow, I was lucky Axel was able to fix this thing on my wrist. I turned it on, seeing a signal symbol and the words 'receiving data' displayed on the tiny screen. This then switched to an overhead map of the island, eight red dots appearing on specific locations.

"The first match of round two will be-"

Every participant inhaled.

"-Trip versus Ellen!"

My eyes widened as Ellen and Trip's pictures appeared on the tv screen on stage. Simultaneously, their names popped up next to a red dot in the forest area on my mini map. I gulped and looked around for Trip, finding him smirking like a jerk near the front of the crowd. I turned to Ellen seeing how she would react. Are you surprised she was grinning with lights in her eyes? You shouldn't be.

"Next matchup! Zack versus Bianca!"

"Oh yay! I'm up second!" I heard Bianca scream.

"This'll be the last time she's up," I heard Zack snicker to Mikey near me. I sighed. Same old Bianca and same old Zack. Overly happy and overly confident. Their names appeared on a dot near the mountain on my map.

"The third pair is Yuki and Cheren."

At the mere mention of Yuki's name, I attempted to make myself shrink. If he saw me I'm pretty sure my face would be a pancake. Naturally, neither of them gloated about victory. At least, not from what I could hear.

The next matchup, however, scared me far more than Yuki ever could.

"Match four will be Black versus White!"

I don't think my lungs were functioning for the next sixty seconds. I stood stock still, nervousness rattling my spine. I hadn't seen this coming. Out of everyone here, this was what I wanted the least. I had to go up against the girl, who, for all I know, had never lost a single match. The girl who beat Burgh in five minutes. The girl who seemed to hate me more and more every time she saw me. I stared at my shoes, watching the laces blow in the breeze, my head unable to process anything else at the time. She was the hero of Unova, the bane of Plasma, the thing that scared me more than Alicia or Yuki. And I was supposed to fight her. I buried my face in my hands. One word playing over and over before my eyes.

Meep.

My X-Transceiver beeped, bringing me out of my trance. I looked, seeing that my match was to be held at the beach. Even more depressing, it was at the same beach that Samurott and Amber were at. Wonderful. Now I would be humiliated in front of my new friends. Ellen and Arcade didn't notice. Arcade was busy trying to escape Ellen's grasp and Ellen was busy trying to keep him there. So I was alone. Even better.

"Hey," I heard a cold, brooding voice slither into my ear. I jumped about ten feet in the air as I turned around, coming face to face with White, sneering as usual. "You Black?"

"Y-Y-Y-Yeah?" I answered, not even trying to remind her that we'd met before. She pointed her index finger at my nose. I rubbed it, thinking it had a smudge on it, but swiftly ceased when I realized she was just doing it to be intimidating. It was working rather well if I may say so.

"You may as well just give up. I've decided that I'm going to win this."

"You've decided that, huh?" I asked, still frightened out of my mind, but a little miffed at her arrogance. She smirked triumphantly, removing a pokéball from her belt and clutching it in her fist.

"Yep. That grand prize looks pretty nifty. And I've decided that I'll win it."

"Grand prize?" I asked, my ignorance making White scoff.

"You entered this thing and you don't even know what the winner gets?"

"Uh..."

"The winner, which'll be me, gets a Master Ball. And the option to fight against Axel Igaul."

"WHAAAT?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, drawing the eyes of the entire crowd. My face turned crimson in an instant.

"You're kinda slow, aren't you? Whatever. Hope you put up a fight. I ain't gonna lose. I never do."

And with that, she walked off, leaving me with the knowledge that I could possibly get a pokéball that never failed to capture. Not to mention the chance to battle with my hero. Sure, I'd lose in three seconds, but it would still be awesome. I'm sure Ellen would've been equally blown away were she not trying to convince Arcade to watch her battle.

"No." Arcade said.

"C'mon! I need someone to hug when I win!"

"That's exactly why I don't want to go. Black! Do something about this!"

"If I could do something about this, I would," I replied. Unfortunately, he didn't have an overprotective Snivy to defend him. Or the scent of wet Samurott fur on his clothes. Both seem to be good at keeping Ellen hugs at bay.

I missed the calling out of the remainder of the matchups so I checked X-Transceiver for them. The last four matches were as follows.

Ash versus Iris.

Nessie versus Mikey.

May versus Apollo.

Cilan versus Mila.

"Come on Arcade, let's go! Seeya after your match Black!" Ellen said, dashing off into the forest, dragging Arcade along by the arm. I waved goodbye awkwardly, hoping Arcade would be able to withstand her wrath.

Before I would follow suit, I looked over at White. She was walking away as well, most likely towards the beach. My eyes narrowed. I felt a fiery conviction well up inside my stomach like a balloon. I didn't know if I could do it or not, but I was sure as hell gonna try and knock White off her high horse.

"Ellen, I'm perfectly capable of walking," Arcade said as she dragged him into the forest, towards her own battle.

"Yes, but you're too slow. It's much better this way," she replied, her blissfully ignorant smile on her face, as was the norm. Arcade sighed, as that was his norm.

Eventually, Ellen slowed to a walk, her eyes on the pink X-Transceiver on her wrist, letting it lead them to the battle site. She continued to tow Arcade along, despite him being able to keep up with her at this point. The pair passed through a gate of trees, finding themselves in a sunlit clearing, the mountain standing ominously in the background. Ellen and Arcade took notice of this after they took notice of the boy standing across from them with his arms crossed as if expecting them.

"Hiya Trip!" Ellen exclaimed happily, waving like a madwoman. She seemed to have forgotten the Pokémon abuse Trip had instigated in Castelia, but in all fairness, it was Ellen. Trip nodded.

"Let's get this over with," Trip stated as a Don George stepped out from the forest as well. Ellen and Arcade jumped, having not heard him at all. Every Don George was stealthy it appeared.

"Ellen. Trip. Are you both prepared?"

"Yep!" Ellen said.

"Of course," Trip followed up, clearly bored out of his mind.

"Alright then! Let the double battle begin!"

"Venipede! Blitzle! Let's go!" Ellen declared, throwing her two pokéballs. They opened wide, revealing her two choices to the world.

"Lampent! Vanillite! I choose you!" Trip proclaimed, retaliating in kind to Ellen with said choices. The two Pokémon emerged in their individual flashes of light, the ice cream scoop and the floating lamp actually managing to look a tad intimidating considering Ellen's situation. No matter what though, Ellen had finished doubting her ability when she met May. So without hesitation, she stepped up and began the fight.

"Venipede! Use Rollout on Lampent! Blitzle, use Charge Beam on Vanillite!"

"Vanillite, dodge and use Icy Wind on Venipede! Lampent, dodge and use Shadow Ball on Blitzle!"

Ellen was unwillingly subject to Trip's ploys, his two floating Pokémon easily swerving out of the way of Ellen's two troops, Blitzle grumbling and Venipede flopping onto his back pathetically. Vanillite and Lampent unleashed their projectiles, Lampent sending a Shadow Ball Blitzle's way and Vanillite blowing freezing winds out of her mouth towards Venipede. Blitzle galloped out of the line of fire just in time, but Venipede wasn't as on the ball. The force of the wind rolled him over onto his front, his antennae freezing.

"Lampent! Use Flamethrower on Venipede! Vanillite! Ice Beam on Blitzle!"

"Blitzle! Counter that with your Charge Beam! Venipede! Dodge it with Rollout!"

Vanillite fired her blue lightning at Blitzle, only to be met midair with Blitzle's yellow bolt. The two were equally matched, both fizzling into non-existence. Venipede, having dimmer reflexes, tried to roll out of the incoming Flamethrower, only managing to get himself scorched, rolling into a tree, tears of pain running like waterfalls out of his eyes. Trip, unfortunately for Ellen, was beginning to catch on.

"Lampent! Vanillite! The Venipede's inconsequential. Focus Ice Beam and Flamethrower on Blitzle!"

"Blitzle, dodge!"

Except, he couldn't dodge. Trip's Pokémon seemed to have an innate strategy for this kind of thing. Lampent launched Flamethrower to Blitzle's left, creating an impassable wall. When Blitzle attempted to dodge to the right, he was met by an onslaught of icy lightning. After tumbling from that assault, Blitzle was struck again by the altered trajectory of Lampent's Flamethrower, toasting the zebra without mercy. Needless to say, he fainted.

"Blitzle!" Ellen shouted, tension spiking within her.

"Blitzle is unable to battle! Continue as you have!" Don George made the call as Ellen sadly returned Blitzle to his pokéball. Determination burned onto her face, her eyes finding the distressed Venipede as Trip's partners closed in on him.

"Venipede! Solarbeam!"

"That's gonna take time to charge! Lampent use Flamethrower and Vanillite use Ice Bea-"

Under stress, as it turned out, Venipede was capable of incredible things. Including interrupting Trip with an instantly charged Solarbeam. Halfway out of surprise and halfway out of Venipede's strength, Vanillite and Lampent staggered midair, giving the crying Venipede enough time to get himself upright and to escape, scuttling off like an energized crap across the mossy forest floor.

"Lampent! Vanillite! After that crybaby!"

"Run Venipede!"

I don't think he would've done anything else. Lampent and Vanillite chased the insect round the clearing, spurting flame wisps and icy winds accordingly every few seconds, nearly missing him every time.

"Stand still you little wimp!" Trip yelled angrily.

That remark caused Venipede to open his eyes wide. The tears were suddenly gone. All that was left… was rage. He continued to run, but you could hear him let out an aggravated chirping, like the sound a cricket would make only somehow… threatening.

"Venipede! Venipede! VEN!" Venipede screeched, his tiny head looking at Trip as he ran past. "VENIPEDE! VENIPEDE! VEN-VEN-VEN!"

And then he began to glow.

* * *

><p>"Are you both ready?" Another Don George asked the participants standing apart from each other. The mountain of the island stood proudly behind Don George, the two tournament combatants not paying it any heed. They were focused on each other.<p>

"Yep!" Zack nodded, smirking triumphantly.

"Yeah!" Bianca responded, cheerful as ever.

"THEN BEGIN!"

"Let's win this quick guys! Arcane! Vincent! I choose you!" Zack declared, releasing both his Sigilyph and his Galvantula, both releasing fierce growls. Not sure how the totem pole Pokémon growled, but according to Bianca, he did, so what do I know?

"Pignite! Mincinno! Here we go!" Bianca responded in kind, throwing her pokéballs with gusto and releasing her pig warrior as well as the chinchilla. The two looked just as elated as her, though it was quite obvious Pignite was itching for a fight.

"Vincent! This'll be a piece of pie! Speaking of which, let's grab some pizza later. Anyway, use Electro Ball on Mincinno! Arcane, use Air Slash on Pignite!"

"Dodge those!" Bianca gave the order, but the two were not quite able to follow it. Pignite dodged the first slice of air Arcane sent spinning his way, but tripped just before the flying type launched the second one. The pig rolled backward, Mincinno landing on top of him after being blasted backward by Vincent's (no pun intended) lightning-fast Electro Ball. "Mincinno! Pignite!"

"Don't let her loose yet! Use Signal Beam and Psychic!"

Arcane's eye began to glow a dank crimson, and before you could say 'psychic powers' both of Bianca's Pokémon were lifted off the ground and strung up like targets by an unseen force. Both gulped as they stared at Vincent charging his pink Signal Beam.

"Mincinno! Throw his aim off using Swift!" Mincinno, still suspended off the earth, managed to flick his tail and send gold stars flying towards Zack's two Pokémon. Swift, being a sure-shot move, struck both Pokémon in their eyes. The resulting confusion forced Arcane to drop Bianca's soldiers.

"What the-?"

"Pignite, let's get ourselves some leeway with Flame Charge!"

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Which one are you-?" Zack may have needed to know which of his Pokémon Pignite would be going after, but Pignite sure didn't. The boar warrior (or maybe I could call him a boar-ior) leaped towards Arcane, moving as if launched from a cannon. After coming into contact with the Sigilyph, he bounced off him like a spring, rebounding towards Galvantula below.

"What even _was _that?!" Zack seethed through gritted teeth as Galvantula was crushed beneath the pig's weight.

"Oh, do you like it? It's a trick I learned from my friend Black! Fire Rocket! But since Pignite can't fly, he just uses agility! I guess we can call it a Flame Leap!"

"Grr! I'll get you and your little flame-leaping pig too! Arcane! No more playing! Use Air Cutter!"

"Mincinno! Counter it with Swift!" Mincinno didn't so much counter the move as he did match it. Arcane's sharp gusts of air passed right through the chinchilla's golden stars, both smashing directly into the opposite opponent, knocking both backward and causing Arcane to lose flight altogether. "Pignite! Finish it with Flamethrower!"

"Vincent, silence the fuzzball with Electro Ball!"

The two Pokémon did as instructed, Pignite letting loose a string of flame from his nostrils while a ball of voltaic energy built up between his mandibles. The assaults struck true, knocking their targets out of the fight.

"Sigilyph and Mincinno are both unable to battle! Call 'em back!" Don George ordered. Bianca nodded and Zack snarled, but still followed suit with Bianca, taking out a pokéball and recalling his totem Pokémon. The two opponents stared at each other catching up with the adrenaline they felt, a desire to win burning in both.

"Pignite! Flamethrower!"

"Vincent! Signal Beam!"

Fierce flames collided with the pink energy burst, sparks flying at the impact site as the pair of energies attempted to override the other. Both Pokémon turned up the juice, their strength rivaling each other until something gave out.

There was an explosion of energy. Only one was left standing.

* * *

><p>I would tell you about Cheren's battle with Yuki, but Cheren never told me what transpired. In fact, anytime I would bring it up, his face became as red as a Darumaka's.<p>

Yeah, the nerd got flattened. Standard fare for Yuki.

But now for the centerpiece of my island experience. I stepped out of the forest onto the familiar beach, sand being crushed beneath my feet. I looked around not noticing anyone else at present. I looked at my X-transceiver again, double-checking that I had the right place. I nodded to no one in particular. This was definitely the spot. Now, I guess I had to wait.

"_Black!" _I heard a friendly voice I definitely knew say my name. I looked up, a grin charging onto my face. I waved over at the secluded mini-cove, Samurott's head poking out of it and Amber sitting next to it, her tail wagging eagerly. I ran over, smile still ablaze on me. Amber leaped into my arms as I approached, an even larger grin on her face. _"Didja come back to stay?"_

"No, sorry. I got a battle over here."

"_Battle?" _Amber's tone suddenly became fearful. _"Are the bad people coming back?"_

"No, I'm pretty sure your mom scared them away for good." I laughed a bit, winking towards Samurott. Amber looked confused. "This battle's… for sport."

"_Sport…?"_

"Yeah, my pals and I fight against another team to build up our strength."

"_I don't get how that's fun."_

"Well… it's kinda hard to explain, admittedly. I guess when we fight our hardest… we grow a little closer together. And we kind of show the other team what we're all about too. And hopefully that helps them grow too."

"_Oh…" _Amber seemed to think about it and I realized how ludicrous this might sound to a wild Pokémon with no notions of trainers or battles prior to this. But, to my surprise, she looked up at me with her grin returning. _"I think I understand."_

"There's the spirit!" I said, my smile gaining some teeth.

"What are you doing?" I froze on the spot as that cold and unfeeling voice crawled into my ears. I whirled around, seeing a puzzled White with a quirked eyebrow as she gazed over my shoulder, looking at Samurott. "Were you…"

Oh sweet merciful Mew, don't tell me she heard all that?

"Uhhhh…" As usual, when I dealt with White, my face froze. She looked from Samurott, to Amber, back to me, then to Samurott, etc. It was a while before either of us said anything. Her, too confused to even find the words, and me, worried I was about to be committed. She was the one to break the silence, of course.

"Don't… tell me you were just talking to-"

"Okay! I will definitely not tell you that!" I responded quickly, not giving her the chance to finish. She was about to say more, but fortunately, another voice beat her to it.

"Black! White!" I looked over White's shoulder as well as White herself, both of our eyes locking onto Don George down the beach. Phew, saved by the bell. "Are you both ready?"

White shot a death glare at me, but relented. Phew, that was close. I set Amber down and followed her, making sure to keep out of arms reach White stood apart from Don George then whirled around dramatically, a smirk on her face as she glared at me. I sighed. Why was everyone taking this so seriously? I thought this would be fun.

Oh wait, that's right, there was a Master Ball on the line. Silly me.

"Black versus White! Are both of you ready?" Don George asked, his head turning to both of us alternatingly as if he were watching a tennis rally.

"You know it!" White cried out.

"Actually, can I have a few min-" I began to speak, but apparently this Don George has selective hearing.

"Then send out your Pokémon!"

"Dewott! Pansear! I choose you!" White announced, throwing two pokéballs my way. They burst open, her Dewott and a Pansear stepping onto the sands in response to her summoning. I gulped as I looked into their eyes. The phrase 'eyes of a warrior' came to mind as they reflected my very disturbed face. There was absolute confidence emanating from them as expected from Pokémon of a trainer whose loss count was non-existent.

"O-Okay then, Witt and Tony! You're up!" Whether I was ready or not, I was still in this. And if Tony and Witt were ready to go, then I would press on. Fortunately, when they appeared, they had confident smirks on their faces. If they only knew the horror that awaited us.

"AND BEGIN!"

"Witt! Use-"

"Dewott! Use Water Gun! Pansear! Flamethrower!" White pre-empted me, her Pokémon releasing their attacks in a stream of water and fire. My two Pokémon dodged, both leaping into the air to avoid the blasts as they collided harmlessly into the sands beneath us.

"Tony! Fight back with-"

"Pansear! Flamethrower!" Again, White had decided not to designate a target. As a result, I had no idea who should be blocking the attack with what. Before I knew it, Witt had been blown across the face with the river of flames, skidding to a stop in a sand pile. Tony stayed airborne with his wings, but White had already planned for it. "Aqua Jet, Dewott!"

"Tony! Fight back using Zen Headbutt!" One would think that my first utterance of an order would go well. One would then have to regret being so naïve. Dewott's body was suddenly surrounded by gushing water and he rocketed towards Tony, the Victini charging at a slower speed. The Victory Pokémon's head began to glow blue as usual just before colliding with the charging Dewott.

Tony never stood a chance. Unexpectedly, Dewott swerved out of Tony's way just in time to avoid a direct confrontation and instead dispersed the Aqua Jet just as Tony was about to breeze by him harmlessly. I tried to tell Tony to look out but White's mouth was faster than mine.

"Razor Shell!" Dewott snatched up one of his scalchops and smacked Tony downward with it mercilessly. Tony plummeted, creating a sand crater when he landed.

"_Why you!" _Witt cried out as he got up, grinding his teeth. Tony got up less angrily, but rubbing his head as he'd been through quite the ordeal.

"Dewott! Ice Beam!" Rather than taking the time to gloat, like most of my previous opponents, White didn't mess around. Dewott jumped up, overlooking my two grounded pals with narrowed eyes. An orb of blue energy built up between Dewott's hands, preparing to fire off some more sub-zero energy. But it was taking him time. And that gave me some inspiration.

"Wiit, use Water Pulse and aim for that Ice Beam!" Witt was more than happy to comply, building up a ball of water between his paws before tossing it. What was supposed to happen was that the Water Pulse was meant to impact the Ice Beam before it was finished to get Dewott wet and cause the move to backfire. To the credit of my never-ending misfortune, Dewott was faster than I estimated. Ice Beam activated before Water Pulse had even traversed its journey halfway. The Water Pulse transformed into a ball of ice as the blue lightning struck it. Witt's smirk faded into a look of terror as the icy ball began falling back toward him. "Gah! Tony, use Confusion to knock it out of the way!"

"Dewott! Use Water Gun on the Victini!" No chance for recovery for my team. Dewott landed and did not take a moment to prepare. With pinpoint accuracy, he launched Water Gun, Tony losing focus as he was caught up in the gushing water. He landed at my feet, Witt getting flattened under the ice orb as this occurred. I facepalmed. This was going much worse than I thought it would. And I predicted we would get creamed.

"Too easy!" White yelled out, pointing at me with a triumphant grin. I flinched slightly from the gesture. "Listen up! If you're not fighting at your best, then start, because I don't want to be fighting against someone who's not trying!"

_Not trying? I'm doing my best here girlie! _I thought angrily without showing a trace of it.

"If my Pokémon and I are ever gonna get to the top, we gotta fight the best! So if you're not putting up a fight, then get ready to be blown out of the way! I don't know where you came from, but you're looking at Nuvema's shining star! Not you, not Team Plasma, not any gym leader can stop me!"

_Nuvema's shining star? I don't remember that nickname._

"Whoa, so you're the one fighting White?" I heard a familiar, yet annoying voice pierce my eardrums. I looked over to my left at the forest, seeing Cheren step out as he adjusted his glasses. "Geez, you _should _give up. If you couldn't beat me, then you don't stand a chance against her. After all, if anyone's going to beat her, it'll be me."

_You mind staying out of this? _I really wish I had the courage to say these things out loud.

"Yeah, I hate to say it," I grimaced as I heard another voice. It wasn't anywhere near as annoying as Cheren's, but it still didn't need to be here. I whirled around, finding Arcade and Ellen, Arcade being the one that just spoke. Though, to his credit, he at least looked like he was feeling bad about saying this. "But in terms of number of wins… I think it's better to throw in the towel than get your Pokémon hurt."

"How'd your match go, Ellen?" I asked, not even taking Arcade's words into account. He was miffed, but I knew he was right either way.

"Great. I won. And check out the reason!" Ellen said ecstatically just before stepping back, revealing something behind her. My eyes widened. It was a Whirlipede. But this Whirlipede was different from the one I had seen with Burgh. Burgh's Whirlipede had a bright purple and red rings featured on his body while Ellen's was a much darker shade of purple and green rings all over the segments of his body. I grinned back.

"Nice work! So I guess Venipede evolved, huh?"

"_Yep!" _Whirlipede declared happily, not bawling his eyes out for the first time. Ellen pat him like a pet Lillipup. Guess she still wasn't worried about Poison Point. _"I won all by myself because Ellen believed in me."_

"That's great. Good for you."

"HELLO!" White reminded me where I was and I turned around again, facing her stamping her feet angrily. I groaned. "We're fighting here!"

"Not for long." Cheren said softly. I shot him the death stare and then looked back at White. I sighed. Why was I even surprised at how much she had just wiped the floor with me? Two rounds of moves and all that I had really accomplished was that I had given her Dewott some target practice. I looked down at Tony as he tried to shake the water out of his fur and at Witt as he rolled the ice sphere off him, the sounds of his hard breathing increasing the sensation of having let him down somehow.

White was always the star. It was a pipe dream to think I could beat her as inexperienced as I was now. Hell, she was always tough. And her Pokémon simply matched. I reached for my pokéballs, opened my mouth to surrender and-

"You think so, nerd?"

Oh great Arceus, more lovely voices! This time, to add insult to injury, it was Yuki. He stepped out from the underbrush, coming up from behind Cheren and snickering sinisterly as he folded his arms. Why was he here? Was it to gloat? I think it was to gloat. Cheren disagreed. He was focused on flinching from the very sound of Yuki's overly deep voice. I got a little happier. Guess Cheren lost. Badly. That was enough to make the day a little brighter.

"I don't think you have any right to be calling anyone out on being terrible, newbie." Yuki moved in on Cheren and the geek backed off, backing into a tree. Yuki had apparently given him that brand of Yuki-fear. Even more wonderful. "After all, even the kid's put up more of a fight than you have."

Wait… was he talking about me?

"I mean, he actually got me off guard once or twice. Beating up on you was fun, nerd. But when I punish that kid over there-" He pointed at me. Gulp. "-he's going to be an absolute treat to take down. Because his dream will be harder to crush. Not much harder, but it'll still be a pleasure."

Yuki's eyes then darted to me. For a moment, the lighting was just right for me to catch the purple eyes behind the sunglasses. And was it just me… or did I see grudging respect? Must've just been me.

"So fight y'little brat!" Yuki ordered at me. I cringed, hoping he didn't have a gun on him. "No one's gonna get the pleasure of beating you senseless except for me!"

I suppose that was his definition of a pep talk. I looked from him to White, to him, to White, etc. There was only one question that would decide my next action. Who was I more afraid of?

"Yeah! Fight on, bud!" This voice was probably the least annoying of all. Twenty feet to Yuki's left, Zack stepped out, looking angered. "I can't wait to see what cool moves you whip out! After all, it takes serious skills to beat me! And I've heard some rumors about this White girl too. So this battle's gonna be awesome!"

"Wait, Zack!" Bianca's tone crept through the barrier of trees. Zack's eyes widened as Bianca passed into my vision. She handed something to him, smiling as Zack's face twitched. "You dropped this after you lost!"

No one said a word. From the look on Zack's face, if anyone said anything, they'd get a pounding.

"_Awww," _I heard White's Pansear speak up. The monkey shrugged smugly, giving me a look that sscreamed, 'I'm better than you'. Nearly made me kick him. _"This is so adorable. I say we waste 'im. It'll be funny."_

"_Don't get cocky." _Dewott said back. At least someone respected me. _"It's in the bag, but don't get a swelled head over it."_

Never mind.

"_Hey, shut up over there!" _Witt retorted, face completely red as he huffed smoke. Yikes. _"We're the best team out there, you got that? You wanna know why?"_

"_I'll bite. I could use a good laugh." _Pansear replied, throwing his hands behind his head. Witt barked at him.

"_It's 'cause we got Bro!" _Tony said, a smile on his face, despite the fact that we never landed a hit on the untouchable duo. _"He's the best human ever. I was lost and all alone and really scared. And then Bro here came along and I felt like I could do anything. I'm still not really tough, but with Bro, I can be the toughest."_

"_That's right!" _Witt picked up his cue, shouting his head off. _"Bro's awesome! Three meals a day! Nice warm pokéball! Not to mention that Bro gave me a home and friends and all that good stuff! With Bro, I'm the best I can be. I may not be evolved like some jerks, but I can still kick more butt with Bro than I ever could without him!"_

Both of my Pokémon then whirled their heads around to look at me, smiles broad on their faces. I was nearly in tears. These guys believed in me that much? I didn't even know they liked me all that much. Well, with Tony I did, but not Witt. These two were SO getting ice cream later.

"_Right Bro?" _They said simultaneously. I fought back the tears, crossing my arms and smirking.

"Yep!" I replied, nodding back. Had to appear manly. I wasn't, but I had to appear that way if anyone was ever gonna take me seriously or at least remember my name.

"Are we gonna do this?" White asked, successfully bringing me out of my stupor. I sneered at her. She yawned. "Listen, Blue, if you're giving up-"

Okay… she just crossed the line.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, any fear I had previously had for White morphing into boiling hot rage.

You could've heard a feather drop in the sands after those words. Anyone who knew anything about White or her reputation instantly painted their faces the same colour as her name. White widened her own eyes at my ignorance. Anyone who told White to shut up was digging their own shallow grave. I didn't care though. I had officially had it.

"What…" White asked, the death glare coming to her again. "…did you just say."

"I've had it with you people!" I yelled, successfully fighting back the terror I was feeling. "I've had it with no one from my hometown even knowing my name! I've had it with everyone in the entire world telling me that I can't do it! I'm tired of everyone always thinking they're better than me! You don't KNOW THAT! You just assume! I'm not gonna take it anymore! You're the worst of them all White! You insult me, you hate me for no reason, and you don't even remember me despite the fact that I've lived next you your entire life! So y'know what? You can just SHUT UP! All this fame that you've been gathering up has made you completely conceited! Well I got news for you White! YOU'RE NOT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE! Everyone has always told me: White is so great! White is the best I've ever seen! White is so much better than you, Black! Well I've had enough of it! I ain't giving up! Not when my friends are with me! Yeah, the odds are stacked against me, but there is no way you'll be winning this! Tony! Witt! Time for the comeback of the century! You guys ready?"

"_Aw yeah, Bro! I'm pumped!" _Witt declared, pumping a paw in the air.

"_Me too!" _Tony said, mimicking the Oshawott right down to the pose.

And then a miracle happened.

Both my Pokémon began radiating a blue aura. I was transfixed by the sudden light, as was White and our sudden audience. I looked over at Bianca.

"Hey Bianca! Can I borrow your pokédex?" I asked, as mine was still broken.

"Huh? Yeah, sure!" Bianca replied, removing her pokédex from her pocket and tossing it over to me. I caught it and thanked her with a nod.

"Wha-? What are you doing?" White asked furiously. "In the middle of a battle? How can you be so-?"

"Oh, can it!" I shot back, scanning both Tony and Witt. My eyes widened when I saw what I did.

"Don't you dare tell me to can it! Dewott-!"

"Witt! Tony! Trust me on this, okay?"

"_Yeah, sure! Anything!" _The two said in unison.

"Witt, use Water Gun on Tony! Tony! Get ready to take it!"

"WHAT?!" Every single person surrounding me cried that out. As well as White's Pokémon. Tony and Witt, contrarily, gave me one look, nodded seriously and then faced each other. With complete trust in my words, Witt didn't hesitate to shoot a gushing stream of water Tony's way. Tony dug his feet into the sand and thrust his arms in front of his face. The water splashed into him, but he held strong. Witt stopped a few seconds later out of fear that he might knock the poor Pokémon out. I felt bad for doing it, but as Tony sat there drenched and smiling, I knew he trusted me. And that was all I needed.

"Are you… sure you're not giving up?" White inquired as she stared at me dumbfounded. "That was pretty dumb."

"Says you," I replied, smirking. I then pointed at White's pair of pals. "Now Tony. Face them… AND USE REVERSAL!"

"Use what-now?" White was barely able to spout the question before Tony's body began to glow blue again. The aura burst in an explosion of energy, the energy funneling into a single blast that shot like an arrow towards White's Pansear. The Pansear was only able to widen his eyes halfway when the cobalt energy barreled into him, sending the chimp flying into White's arms, fainting on the way.

Again, you could've heard a feather drop from the silence that followed. It was understandable. I had just managed to knock out one of White's Pokémon in one move. That was reason enough to celebrate.

But it got better.

"R-Reversal?" White spluttered, not quite comprehending that she was just floored by one tiny Victini. I snickered triumphantly.

"Look it up! It's a move that gets stronger the weaker on stamina the Pokémon is! So even in weakness, Tony's as tough as they come!"

"No way! It just learned that right now?"

"And that's not all. Witt learned a little something too."

"You're still not gonna win, Blue!"

"The name is Black! And like I told you before-"

_Black: __There you go!__  
><em>_You're always so right,__  
><em>_It's all a big show,__  
><em>_It's all about you!_

_You think you know,__  
><em>_What everyone needs!__  
><em>_You always take time,__  
><em>_To criticize me!_

_It seems like everyday,__  
><em>_I make mistakes!__  
><em>_I just can't get it right!_

_It's like I'm the one,__  
><em>_You love to hate,__  
><em>_But not today!_

_So shut up! Shut up! Shut up!__  
><em>_Don't wanna hear it!__  
><em>_Get out, get out, get out,__  
><em>_Get out of my way!__  
><em>_Step up, step up, step up!__  
><em>_You'll never stop me!__  
><em>_Nothing you say today,__  
><em>_Is gonna bring me down!_

_There you go,__  
><em>_You never ask why,  
>It's all a big lie,<em>_  
><em>_Whatever you do,_

_You think you're special!__  
><em>_But I know, and I know,__  
><em>_And I know, and we know,__  
><em>_That you're not!_

_You're always there to point,__  
><em>_Out my mistakes,__  
><em>_And shove them in my face!_

_It's like I'm the one,__  
><em>_You love to hate,__  
><em>_But not today!_

_So shut up! Shut up! Shut up!__  
><em>_Don't wanna hear it!__  
><em>_Get out, get out, get out,__  
><em>_Get out of my way!__  
><em>_Step up, step up, step up!__  
><em>_You'll never stop me!__  
><em>_Nothing you say today,__  
><em>_Is gonna bring me down!_

_Is gonna bring me down!_

_Will never bring me down!_

_Don't tell me who I should be,__  
><em>_And don't try to tell me what's right for me!__  
><em>_Don't tell me what I should do!__  
><em>_I don't wanna waste my time,__  
><em>_I'll watch you fade away!_

_So shut up! Shut up! Shut up!__  
><em>_Don't wanna hear it!__  
><em>_Get out, get out, get out,__  
><em>_Get out of my way!__  
><em>_Step up, step up, step up!__  
><em>_You'll never stop me!__  
><em>_Nothing you say today,__  
><em>_Is gonna bring me down!_

_So shut up! Shut up! Shut up!__  
><em>_Don't wanna hear it!__  
><em>_Get out, get out, get out,__  
><em>_Get out of my way!__  
><em>_Step up, step up, step up!__  
><em>_You'll never stop me!__  
><em>_Nothing you say today,__  
><em>_Is gonna bring me down!_

_Bring me down!__(Shut up, shut up, shut up)__  
><em>_Won't bring me down!__(Shut up, shut up, shut up)__  
><em>_Bring me down!__(Shut up, shut up, shut up)__  
><em>_Won't bring me down!_

_Shut up, shut up, shut up!_

"Tony! Witt! Grab each other's hands!" They did so, Witt reluctantly taking the Victini's hands. "Now! Tony use Fire Rocket! And Witt use Aqua Jet!"

"Since when does Witt know Aqua Jet?" Ellen asked from behind me. I shot her a thumbs up.

"Since right now. Fly guys!" My two friends used their attacks to propel themselves into their air, flying towards Dewott like a pair of assault planes. White wasn't going to back down from the challenge, however.

"Dewott! Fight back with your own Aqua Jet! And use Razor Shell while you're at it!" Dewott launched himself skyward as well, armor of pure gushing water forming around him. White smiled. "Sorry, but when it comes to pure power, Dewott's gonna win!"

"I know! Which is why I'm doing this! Separate guys!"

"What?!" White shrieked as my two buddies split apart midair, Aqua Jet and Fire Rocket fading away as they planted their feet on solid ground while Dewott was still charging forward. "Dewott! Look out!"

"Now's your chance Tony! Reversal!" Tony called up the blue aura once more, firing another arrow of the stuff at Dewott. The otter was a sitting duck, getting thrown for another loop and face-planting in the sand, he got up, however, angry as I'd ever seen anyone. His scalchops had separated from him mid-fall, landing next to Witt.

"THAT'S IT! Dewott! Take out that Victini once and for all! Water Gun!"

"Tony! Do-" Tony was too tired at this point to dodge, Reversal, while a powerful move, ran the risk of putting the Victory Pokémon in danger. We received the consequences of that risk as Tony fainted.

"There! How do you like that! Let's keep fighting Dewott! This battle's just getting heated up!"

"On the contrary," I said, wagging a finger at her. "I've won!"

"You clearly haven't! Dewott! Use Ice Beam!"

"Witt! Grab Dewott's scalchops and toss 'em back!"

Both Pokémon followed their commands, Witt snatching up both scalchops next to him like the former thief he was and Dewott charging up more icy energy. Witt threw the scalchops with expertise aim, like a pair of shuriken. Dewott shot Ice Beam. Fortunately, my ploy worked, the Ice Beam hitting the incoming scalchops instead of Witt, freezing the makeshift blades into sharp, jagged ice. Dewott's eyes widened just before he was struck across the face by the-

"-Sub-zero Shuriken! That's what we're calling that move!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, Dewott falling into a heap as he fainted.

Even the sounds of the waves next to us ceased at the appearance of White's gaping face. She wasn't the only one. Cheren's mouth had also fallen open. Bianca looked surprised, but it was no surprise to me that she looked cheery as ever. I myself could hardly believe what Witt, Tony, and I just did. But the ecstatic grin that was creeping onto my face gradually snapped me into reality. Witt's snickering mug was becoming just as happy as mine. The butterflies in my stomach began throwing a party. A really sweet party. Words escaped me. I couldn't find any to describe how I felt in that second of watching Dewott faint.

Oh wait, here's two: Hell. Yes.

"Witt," I said simply as I gazed at White's bewildered face. I spread my arms out after returning Tony to his Luxury Ball for rest. He'd hear the good news later. "C'mere here and give your Bro a hug!"

Witt leaped over to me and complied. I screamed at the top of my lungs. I could've deafened the otter in my arms, but I did not care in the slightest.

"You did it! You did it! WITT YOU DID IT! I'M SO FREAKING PROUD OF YOU!"

"_That's great. Now how 'bout some ice cream, Bro?"_

"YOU GOT IT!" He could've asked me to give him my life savings and I probably would've done it. We just did the impossible, I was too happy about that to care about little things like food or money.

"I don't believe it…" Cheren managed to gasp out.

"Dewott is unable to battle!" Don George said the words the carved one of my greatest victories into my heart. "Which means Black wins this round of the Battle Spire Isle tournament and moves onto the next one!"

"YEAH!" That wasn't me. That was Ellen. She managed to get over her distaste for how I smelled long enough to come over and hug the living daylights out of me. I didn't care. I beat White. Everything else was insignificant. Arcade came into my line of sight. I thought he was gonna give me another cold response, but on the contrary, he smiled. First one I saw from him. This was also the first and only thumbs up I ever got out of him. I grinned back. Maybe he wasn't bad after all.

"WAY TO GO BLACK!" Bianca joined the hug, making the bone crushing twice as lovingly painful. Witt avoided it by moving to my head, laughing at my misfortune all the while. I felt something push my lightly at the ankles. I looked down, finding that Whirlipede was rolling against me affectionately in congratulations. I grinned for about the seventeenth time. Life was good. "Both sides did their very best! It was so inspiring to watch!"

"Hey," the hug broke as an unexpected voice called to me. I looked between Ellen and Bianca's faces finding White. But instead of seeing a vengeful expression from which I would flee, there was instead an awkward expression about her. As if she just said her wallet tasted good and was just realizing how ridiculous it sounded. Taken aback, I said nothing. "I wanted to say…I'msorryandstuff."

"Didn't catch that." I replied.

"Look. I guess you…were kinda right. I was kinda treatin' you bad because I looked at your trainer profile before the battle and I saw that you had one less gym badge than me and…I guess I got overconfident. I was being real snobbish and I hate that. So…sorry…and stuff."

"Uh…" Never expected White the toughie herself to be so grudgingly apologetic. These words seemed to be physically uncomfortable for her to say. Two seconds later, however, and she was back to her regular self, pointing at me.

"But don't think this means that I'm admitting that you're better or anything! I just got careless. I'll train up! Then my Pokémon and I will be putting Nuvema Town on the map! Just you wait!"

"Uh…" I barely got that off before she ran off, no doubt going to train right now. I sighed. I may have beaten her, but she never lost her dedication. I suppose that was a good thing about her.

"Let's hear it for Black!" Ellen yelled, bringing me directly out of these thoughts and pumping her fist in the air. "For making it through the first round with me and Bianca! And you beat your number one rival too! I say we celebrate!"

I nodded. As did Bianca and Arcade. It was a good reason to celebrate. I just beat White, I was in round two, along with the two ladies currently crushing my ribs, and this was the first time I thought the following words.

I _will _make it to the top.

Unbeknownst to me, however, another spectator who had been watching the match was also celebrating for me. But for a different reason. This spectator was small, red, and currently, her eyes were shimmering with what just transpired in front of her.

* * *

><p>"New training regiment, Dewott!" White said as she strolled through the forest, her Dewott, already recovered on her heels, keeping up with her jogging pace. "From now on, no straying from your diet. And we're training your attacks for eight hours a day! Not just six! And lastly-"<p>

White, believe it or not, stopped talking because she saw something more interesting than her own training ideas. She looked over at Battle Spire Mountain, the base of which could be seen between the trees. Her brow narrowed as she saw two people go near the base, laying equipment down next to it. These two people were people she had encountered before, people she was more than happy to annihilate if given the chance.

Team Plasma.

She didn't stop for a second. She marched their way, getting ready to order an attack from Dewott. She was about to walk out of the forest, when from behind a tree, an arm shot out, blocking her path.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a smug owner of that arm said from behind the tree. White snorted.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because," Axel Igaul said as he poked his head out from behind the tree, grinning like the madman I'm fairly sure he was. "Then all the waiting I did for them to come out will have been for nothing."

**End of Chapter Twenty-Nine.**

**Wow, Twenty-Nine chapters. And it only took me a year and four months to do it. Okay, so… sorry for the wait again (though you're probably used to it at this point) and I hope this chapter was worth it. **

**Song was Simple Plan's "Shut Up".**

**I would like to thank Russetwing again for beta-reading and I wish you all a pleasant day. Bye now!**

**Question: Favourite Pok****é****mon type?**


	30. Amber Dreams

**Review Responses: LiveandLearn2 – Maybe. Find out right now. Not telling. I'm evil like that. **

**Greece's Kitty – Thank yoooooooooooooou!**

**Russetwing – Yes, I do believe that was something they'll remember about Black. If not his name, then they will definitely remember that match. Why thanks! I try to put all I can into writing battles. Witt and Tony thank you. Heh, Axel is a jerk… but he is so much fun to write. **

**Ashley Eon – Thanks! When this matchup came up randomly, I immediately knew what I would be doing with it. At this point, Black has been seen talking to his Pokémon before and has built up a reputation for not being… right in the head in the minds of others. Either that, or I messed up. Whoops. Yeah, you're right, heh heh, I'll try not to make that mistake in the future. **

**Emi – Hehehe, you'll just have to read to find out! MWAHAHAHA!**

**Skeptic – Yeah… that… was my bad. I can admit when I mess up and that was a poor decision on my part. I apologize and hope you keep reading and I will not make such a poor mistake in the future. **

**Spyhunter7 – Oh, if you read my other story you'll see Axel do much more reckless things than that, heh heh. **

**SilverRiolu – You flatter me! Thanks so much!**

**Lolatrommr – Maaaaaaybe.**

**Guardian54 – Uhhhh, no comment.**

**My answer to last chapter's question: Flying**

**Chapter 30: Amber Dreams**

"So let me get this straight," White whispered to Axel as she leaned behind a tree facing away from the mountain. Axel was doing the same at a tree nearby, both hiding in the shadows. White kept her voice low so as not to alert the Plasma grunts working near the mountain face. "You threw this whole shindig to get at Team Plasma?"

"Not exactly," Axel replied, yawning and removing something orange from his pocket. White face-palmed when she saw it was a can of orange soda that the Johto native opened with a loud pop. White gulped, thinking that would attract Plasma members. To her relief, as she looked out from behind the tree, they hadn't. "Get your head back, are you trying to draw attention?"

"Hey! What was that with the can of-"

"In a way you're right," Axel continued, changing the subject back to the original one. "I had intel saying Team Plasma was coming here. But the locals weren't exactly… welcoming of visitors. Long story short, they attacked me if I tried." He took a sip of his soda, a smile curving his lips when he finished. "There's a reason this place is called Battle Spire Isle. You heard the legend from Don George, about Terrakion, right?" White nodded. "Well, they take battling very seriously here, since Terrakion was always the strongest of the Musketeer Pokémon, as I call that trio. He was, apparently, always up for a fight. So they take that fighting spirit and use it in their everyday lives on this island. So, the only way to get access here was to get a tournament together. It took a while, but luckily, Plasma had to keep their excavation of that mountain quiet, so it took them a while as well. Unfortunately, they're just about finished."

"So why aren't you in there kicking them to the curb?"

"There are more of them inside the mountain. The only thing I don't know is how they're getting in. I haven't seen a cave opening or a tunnel anywhere. And trust me, I've looked all over. I got friends in high places."

"How do you know they're in the mountain if you can't see an entrance?"

"Because those guys over there were just talking about how they had to meet up with the guys inside."

White facepalmed.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Scraggy!" Ash Ketchum called out as he stood on the grassy edge of a pond, the forest directly behind him. Across the pond stood Iris… and she was fuming. In the middle of the pond, several large lily pads had been spread out across the water. The lily pad closest to Ash had a sneering Scraggy standing upon it; Iris' fatigued Axew lying down on a lily pad across from the fighting type. "Finish this off with Headbutt!"<p>

"Axew, look-" Iris attempted a counterstrike, but Scraggy was too quick, jumping up and falling. His head collided with Axew's and that was all she wrote. Axew fainted.

"Yeah! Way to go, Scraggy!" Ash yelled out Scraggy crossing his arms and nodding smugly as Ash pumped a fist in the air. Iris groaned, wading out into the water to scoop the fallen Axew up in her arms.

"Ash wins as Axew is unable to battle!" Don George declared, making it final. Ash returned Scraggy to his pokéball, grinning up a storm.

* * *

><p>"Emon! Pika! Use Thunderbolt and roast those two!" Mikey ordered, pointing at the Riolu and Torchic standing from across the meadow. Flower petals swirled around the four Pokémon and their trainers. Nessie stood behind the Riolu and Torchic, a bead of sweat dripping down her face. The two electric rodents standing in front of Mikey (with triumphant grins on their faces) sparked with electricity before firing a duo of lightning bolts at Nessie's Pokémon. Said Pokémon had the common sense to dodge just in time, fortunately for Nessie. "Tch! Keep up the pressure!"<p>

"Well, when you can't beat 'em," Nessie said, eyes locked on her Torchic. "Torchic, use Mirror Move!"

Torchic froze on the spot. Her head turned, eyes locked on the bolts of lightning that were gradually getting more accurate. Inexplicably, Torchic's feathers began to spark with electricity. Her eyes narrowed as Mirror Move activated, two bolts of lightning colliding in midair. They cancelled each other out, Torchic taking this opportunity to spout a whirling Fire Spin towards the two rodents. The pair was swept up in the vortex, the assault nastily singing their fur.

"Pika! Emon! Get up!"

"Riolu! Force Palm!"

If the story I was told was accurate, Riolu leapt forward with a mad grin on his face. The jackal thrust a palm at the Emolga first, easily sending the flying squirrel skyward. As Pika was still recovering, Riolu got a gleam in his eye while pulling back his other arm. In the blink of an eye, he smacked a palm into Pikachu, the rodent smashing into the dirt next to his fallen comrade.

"What the heck?" Mikey seethed through her clenched teeth. Nessie grinned.

"Sorry, but this is just the way I do things! Torchic! Wrap this up with one more Fire Spin!"

* * *

><p>"So Trip literally left the island after he lost?" I asked Ellen as we walked out of the underbrush of the forest, a meadow and a clear sky replacing the shady moss and leafy canopy of the woods. I was walking in stride next to Ellen with Arcade, Bianca, and Zack having their own conversation behind us. Witt was hanging out inside my bag, enjoying his reward of snacking on what he called 'the good food' that I had packed. Really, it was just an old candy bar. I was giggling inside as I imagined Trip's face when he left. Boy, that was a satisfying image.<p>

"Yeah. He overreacted a little if you ask me," Ellen responded, quickly shrugging the topic off. Her Whirlipede was rolling alongside her, eyes still bright with happiness. "But enough about that. I wonder how the other matchups have gone?"

"You know you can check it on your X-transceiver, right?" Arcade said as he sped up to walk beside me.

"Oh, right. Duh!" Ellen smacked herself jokingly, letting out a small giggle as she checked her X-transceiver, hitting a few buttons to get to the tournament standings as we continued to stroll through the humid air. "Well, besides you, me, and Bianca, Yuki's also gotten through, Ash won against Iris, Apollo-"

Ellen stopped in her tracks as her face flushed. I quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Arcade, who shrugged.

"-Apollo," Ellen continued, "beat May."

"Seriously?" I asked, only half-interested. I was still burning out from the adrenaline I'd spent defeating White. Had I mentioned that I beat White? Sorry, it's just that I really like repeating that fact. Y'know, the fact that I beat White.

"Yeah, and that's not all, either. Mila defeated that Cilan guy."

"Cilan lost?" Now that got me genuinely surprised. I expected that guy to go a little further. Especially after all the trouble I went through with him to get my first badge. I knew first hand that beating him was no small feat. Mila was pretty good, I supposed. "So…what about the last match? Y'know, Mikey versus… Nessie, right?"

"Still waiting on that one." Ellen said, endlessly staring at the X-Transceiver. When it became apparent that nothing was going to happen, I sighed and smiled.

"Well, by the looks of things, we have a lot of time before round three starts. Who wants lunch?"

"Yeah, me, I'm starving!" Bianca shouted, throwing her hand into the air like an overconfident elementary school student.

"Well, if you're offering a free lunch, I might as well partake," Zack followed up, pretending as if his stomach didn't just make a noise that would challenge Axel's Dragonite's roar.

"Did someone say lunch?" When that familiar and enthusiastic voice appeared directly behind me, I jumped out of my shoes. After landing with a thud from the sudden surprise, I looked behind me to see my old friend Cilan standing over me, looking confused at my sudden inability to use my legs.

* * *

><p>"Pika and Torchic are both unable to battle!" Don George declared as both of said Pokémon flopped over, completely knackered. "Keep going with your remaining Pokémon!"<p>

"Okay! Emon! Air Slash!"

"Dodge it Riolu!"

Emon, not one to miss a beat, flapped his wings rapidly, sending sharp slices of air flying Riolu's way with each stroke. The fighting type, as if on cue, backflipped onto his forepaws to dodge, then once again onto his feet and so on. Mikey smirked.

"What's so funny?" Nessie asked, a bead of sweat dropping down her face.

"Nothing. It's just, I don't think your Riolu is very equipped for long-distance fighting, is it?"

Nessie narrowed her brow.

"I take it from that reaction that I'm right? I ask because you had to use your Torchic to stun my Pokémon before Riolu could land a blow. Riolu is powerful, sure. But without a partner, it's no match for Emon! Emon, Electro Ball!"

Emon's tail sparked up, the regular sphere of surging electrical power morphing into existence. Emon swung around, launching it towards the agile Riolu. That agility however, seemed to fail when Riolu slipped. He landed on his backside with a thud, but that was to be the least of his worries. Mikey gave a toothy grin.

"Riolu!" Nessie screamed as Riolu was bombarded with an Electro Ball. Riolu tumbled over, sparks appearing all over his body. Emon smirked along with his trainer, landing on the ground and looked to Mikey, who nodded an approval.

"Okay, this is almost over. Emon-!"

"Hee hee."

"…Are you-" Mikey spluttered as nearly unperceivable chuckles began to escape Nessie's mouth. Mikey sneered at her as she began to breathe more heavily. "-laughing at me?"

"Yes, actually. It's kinda funny."

"What is?"

"That'cha fell for it."

"Fell for what?"

"Riolu! Copycat!" Riolu instantaneously opened his eyes, grinned, and leapt into the air all in the span of a single second. Emon, unprepared, simply flinched as Riolu built up his own Electro Ball between his two paws, throwing it with deadly accuracy and knocking the flying squirrel across the field for good measure.

"What?"

"Did you like that? I was waitin' for you to use something like Electro Ball. After all, since he's part flying type, electric moves will do regular damage to Emolga. So, that long distance issue? Don't worry about that."

"Hmph. My mistake. Guess I should start being serious."

Nessie winked. "'Kay. Bring it."

* * *

><p>Cilan is a strange man. I just thought I'd repeat that for anyone who hasn't already inferred this little factoid. There's something to be said for a man who has a catch phrase, is a gym leader, and is more flamboyant than the cast of "Team Rocket's Downfall on Ice." But what I didn't expect from this man was for him to carry a backpack around that was seemingly bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. For if this was not the case, then I would love to hear how he fit a fold-out table, multiple pots and pans, a hot plate, and countless food stocks all in the one miniscule backpack.<p>

Maybe it's best not to think about it. After all, all that really mattered was that he offered to cook us lunch. I sat at the fold out table (using one of the fold out chairs he had also managed to fit in his bag) waiting expectedly like a starving child along with Zack, Arcade, Ellen, and Bianca. We had released all of our Pokémon, who were all feasting on some homemade Pokémon food made by the vegetable head himself. From the noises they were making, they were quite impressed with the result. Of course, since I was sitting between Ellen and Bianca, I wasn't hearing many noises from Iva. She just sort of glared at us, occasionally taking a bite from her bowl of pellets. I could feel her stare at the back of my head always. Fortunately, the ladies were smart enough not to touch me the whole time. Other than her, I was able to watch all the Pokémon as they sat there. They looked like a bunch of college students in casual conversation, if you asked me. Witt and Bianca's Pignite were talking about their individual victories, Whirlipede and Zack's Galvantula were in a rather compelling conversation about trees they've nested in, Tony had taken to having his meal atop Zack's Darmanitan's head, Richter (Arcade's Timburr) was talking about himself and Arcade to Ellen's Blitzle (who was… disinterested, to put it mildly). It warmed my heart to see them all getting along.

"So, how come Iris and Ash aren't with you, Cilan?" I asked as I turned around to look at "Pansage Head," (as Tony called him) who was currently stirring the stew above his portable hot plate.

"Well, Iris went off to sulk after her loss and Ash decided to go do some training for his next match. I decided to go for a walk and ran into you all. I'm glad your Pokémon approve of my cooking. I hope I get a similar reaction from the rest of you."

"Well, considering I never got a sample back in Striaton, I guess this'll be the taste test."

"Don't worry Black, I already had a taste." Bianca said cheerily. "And if it's still the same, then it'll be delicious."

"Enough talk!" Zack shouted, banging his fists on the table. "Bring on the food."

"Right. Actions speak louder than words, I suppose." Cilan added a dash of something I couldn't identify from a shaker and picked up the pot, bringing it over to the table with ease, pouring the contents into separate bowls, and handing one to each of us. Ravenous hunger gnawing me at the time, I picked up the bowl with both hands and brought it to my lips without a second thought. It smelled like cooked vegetables, nastily intensifying the emptiness in my stomach. With no hesitation in mind, I tilted the concoction into my mouth, warm and delicious flavour gushing into it. I gulped the vegetables and the broth all down in a few gulps. Dang, and I thought I cooked a good dish. This stuff was exquisite. Say what you will about Cilan, but in that moment, I understood why Iris and Ash traveled with this guy. The food was worth the personality for sure. I licked my lips after I devoured my meal, immediately stretching my arm out towards Cilan in a gesture to ask for seconds. Cilan chuckled.

"You got it." He answered, giving me another ladle-full.

"This is great stuff," Zack murmured between sips of broth. "I'm glad I decided to hang with you guys today."

"Yeah, Cilan, you got a talent," Ellen joined the chorus of praise for our chef.

"Uh huh. Doesn't he, Arcade?" I asked as Arcade spooned his food, taking a single sip.

"Uh…sure…" he said that so quietly that I have to guess that that's what he said. Somehow the guy was even quieter around this many people. Weird.

And so we sat, slurping and pigging out on Cilan's cooking for what seemed like forever. I got so full that I had to refuse more of the stuff, though my tongue yearned for it. I looked over my shoulder, watching Witt chase Tony around for a bit as Joel took another nap on Perry's head, Perry enjoying a good sleep alongside him. I grinned. Life was certainly better on this island than it had been everywhere else lately. I was actually not getting beaten senseless, for one thing. Eventually, everyone else had gotten full, rubbing their bellies as the satisfying digestion began. Life was indeed good.

"Why hello there!" And it was about to get even better. I perked up, whirling around in my chair to find another familiar face walking our way. I waved as the woman in the white lab coat approached at her usual brisk pace. Excitement welled up within me as she waved back. "Bianca! Black! Cilan!"

"Why, Professor Juniper!" Cilan greeted the woman by her name and bowed, like the gentleman he was. "It's good to see you again!"

"You too, Cilan." Professor Juniper replied quickly as she sat at the empty seat across from me. Her eyes fell on Bianca next. "How are you Bianca?"

"I'm doing just great! Pignite and I won our second round match! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Great job Bianca. Not that I'm surprised."

Zack silently groaned.

"Hey, Professor," I said meekly, bracing myself for what I was about to ask her, the waterlogged pokédex in my pocket now feeling a lot heavier. She turned to me, smiling kindly.

"Hello Black. I haven't seen you for a while. Not since I gave you that pokédex, I believe." Meep. "I see Victini is doing well. I'm sorry, I meant Tony."

"Y-You know his nickname?" I inquired, my hands still trembling.

"Of course. I'm in contact with White's mom. She told me all about it. And from the sounds of things, you've been doing your job just fine. Two gym badges, am I right? And both attained on your first try too. Not an easy feat. White's mother made the right decision recommending you."

"Oh…uh… thanks." I half-moaned, twiddling my thumbs. "Listen professor, I got to talk to you about something."

"Sure Black, what is it? Ask me anything. I owe you after you went on this journey to help out Victini."

"Well, y'see, that's the thing," I continued, gulping every few seconds. "On our way here… something happened. A… member of Team Plasma got on board the ship somehow and-"

"Long story short," Ellen interrupted me, "he fell off the boat and now his pokédex is busted."

Ellen likes to "help."

A block of ice teleported itself into my stomach as I stared at Professor Juniper with a twitching expression. Her smile dropped. Oh Great Rayquaza in the sky, tell me she wasn't going to kill me.

"Oh, is that all?" She asked, reaching an outstretched palm towards me. I blinked at it a few times as her smile returned. "Give it to me Black. I'll fix 'er up and you'll be reunited within a few hours."

"Wha-?Really? You mean you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? It was a simple accident, Black. And if it was in an effort to keep Victini from Team Plasma, then all the more understandable, am I right?"

"Uh…yup. You're right." I felt silly. My face flushed as I handed the pokédex off to Juniper. She clasped it in her hand and looked it over from different angles, the smile not leaving her again.

"Oh yeah, this is no problem Black. No problem for me. All things considered, this is an easy fix. I can have it back to you by the time you're on the boat home."

"Wow…uh… thanks professor."

"No problem. In fact, I'll go get started right now."

"At least have something to eat first." Cilan said pushing a bowl in front of her. I suspect he just wanted more praise for his cooking, and considering the expectant look on his face, this theory proved plausible.

Juniper's smile became a little longer as she dug in. "Fantastic."

Cilan looked like a kid on Christmas.

At that moment, my X-transceiver began to beep repeatedly, along with Ellen's and Bianca's. I glanced at it, hitting the answer button as I did so. My eyes widened. The final match had ended. And quite surprisingly.

"I don't believe it," Ellen exclaimed, slight disappointment accenting her voice.

"Me neither," I replied. "That Nessie girl must be good. You tried with everything you had and you barely landed a scratch on Mikey."

"Thanks," Ellen groaned sarcastically as my face went red again. That was insensitive of me. That, however, was small potatoes as I looked at the matchup board. Mikey had lost the match while Nessie progressed.

"Hey, look, the round three matchups are coming up!" Bianca squealed. I blinked as the first match appeared on my X-transceiver.

"Apollo versus Ash, huh?" Ellen said the words aloud as Zack looked over her shoulder to take a gander at the list for himself. The next matchup appeared and I quirked an eyebrow. This could either be very good or very bad.

"Yuki versus Mila?" I hadn't seen Mila battle yet, so I had no idea if she was any good or not. I looked to Cilan and he grinned.

"I can't tell you anything. You might be able to use anything I say against her if you end up fighting."

"Do you think she stands a chance against Yuki?" I wondered out loud.

"I don't know who Yuki is, but Mila can definitely hold her own in a fight."

I hoped this was the case. After all, any battle with Yuki could easily turn you into breakfast for rabid Houndours.

"Hey Black!" Ellen yelled into my ear. "You're up against Nessie!"

"I am?" My gaze fell back to my X-Transceiver, widening as I did so. This wasn't as horrifying as the last time I had seen the matchups. Simply because White wasn't involved in any way, shape, or form. However, Nessie beat Mikey. That was reason enough for me to be on my toes.

"Which means I'm up against Bianca!" Ellen stated proudly and happily. Her and Bianca turned to each other, clasping one another's hands. "That'll be nice! A good, friendly battle with my BFF!"

"Really? BFF?"

"Sure Bianca! You're awesome!"

"Thanks! You are too, Ellen!"

"Aw, this is great! I need something to hug! C'mere Arcade!"

"What?!" Arcade no less than screamed, dropping his spoon and splattering the remains of his food all over the tablecloth. "Why don't you hug Bianca or Black?"

"I've already hugged Bianca today!"

"You've already hugged me today!"

"And Black's Snivy gets mad for some reason if I try to hug him!"

"Black!" Arcade stared at me intensely. "Can I borrow your Snivy?"

I looked over at Iva and quirked a brow. She shook her head. I returned my stare to Arcade and shrugged. He groaned. As Ellen approached, Arcade bolted from his chair, running towards the woods.

"Wait! Arcade!" Ellen called after him.

"Richter! Let's go!" Arcade shouted, his Timburr hearing him and waving goodbye to his newly made friends before chasing after his old friend, two-by-four in tow.

"Aw man," Ellen sulked before her eyes lit up and darted to Zack. He gulped. He had seen Ellen's death hug in action and he wasn't happy to fall victim to it.

"Arcade! Wait for me!" He said, recalling Martin, Vincent, and Arcane as he went.

"Aw man, and I got no time to chase 'em…"

"Actually, you do," I said as I tapped my X-transceiver. "According to this sucker, we got an hour's rest before round three starts."

"Awesome!" Ellen cried out victoriously. However, just as she was going to charge to her next hugging conquest, Cilan threw a hand out in front of her.

"And that's just enough time to do the dishes." He said, grinning at her kindly. He winked at me. Crafty man.

"Awwww, I hate dishes," Ellen said as she, Bianca, and I walked through the meadow to the nearby stream. Cilan was packing up, the dishwork ten minutes behind us. Professor Juniper was on her way to wherever she was going to fix my pokédex. I needed to stock up on fresh water, so I suggested the stream. After putting most of our Pokémon in their pokéballs, we started walking. The exceptions to these recalls were Zorua (who was sitting atop Ellen's head) and Iva (which is why I believe this is the point where Ellen began to suspect that I didn't _want _her to hug me).

"Dishes aren't that bad," I chuckled.

"Yeah, me and my dad used to do them together all the time," Bianca said, grinning at memories gone by. "We even made a song for it."

I giggled slightly. I had always heard that Bianca's dad was very protective of his daughter. Considering how sweet she was, I understood why.

"But they're so booooring. And they make my fingers all wrinkly."

"They go back to normal," I explained.

"I know, but it still feels weird."

I sighed, scooping up some water into a pot. I was about to return the pot to Cilan's hot plate so we could boil it. However, something caught my eye. In the distance, down the stream, I saw something that sparkled in the distance. It looked very… familiar. I placed a flat hand above my eyes to shield them from the sun. I widened my eyes. Something was coming down the stream at the speed of a jet ski. However, the shimmering, pointy gold object above the water was no jet ski. I grinned when I realized what it was.

"What're you starin' at Black?" Bianca asked, following my gaze to the waters. Her eyes got glittery as she saw what I did. I waved at the approaching presence. That day was filled with old familiar faces.

"Hey Samurott! What's up!" I greeted my sea lion friend as Ellen and Bianca backed away from her. I approached, the water type getting onto land and giving my face a slobbery lick as she did so. One of the many 'benefits' of being loved by Pokémon.

"_Hello…Black. It is good to see you again," _she said, a melancholy fading over her face. My face fell.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. _"Nothing is wrong. Someone wishes to speak with you."_

At those words, on cue, Amber popped off her back, a large smile on her face to contrast Samurott's. I grinned as I kneeled down, patting Amber's head. Iva held me slightly tighter round the neck. Not that I wasn't used to that sort of thing at this point.

"How are you today, Amber?" I asked, winking.

"_I'm fine," _Amber began, circling a spot on the ground with her foot, looking extremely sheepish. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Seriously, what's on your minds?"

"_If you're not sure, little one," _Samurott began, Amber looking over at her. _"It is still not necessary that you ask."_

"_N-No. I'm sure, Mom," _Amber responded, turning back to me, a fiery (no pun intended) determination in her eyes.

"You want to ask me something?"

"_Can I… battle you?"_

"Huh?" I was confused. From what she said a few hours earlier, she didn't see the point in battles.

"_And if I lose… you get to take me with you."_

"Say WHAT NOW?" I asked, dumbfounded. I looked from her to Samurott, back to her, back to Samurott, etc. She was saying this… and Samurott was neither holding her so protectively that she was choking her nor cutting my head off for possibly inspiring this question.

"_That's…how it works, right? If you win, you use that ball thingy and then I go with you, right?"_

"Uhhhh…"My eyes ended up on Samurott. Her stare was not interpretable. That's just the natural facial expression of her species, but it was still intimidating enough to make me choke on my own tongue. I shook my head rapidly to clear it. "Why do you want to do this, exactly? I mean, it's not like you have reason to be unhappy here or anything."

"_I know. It's not that I'm unhappy here. It's just… yesterday… you were telling me all these stories." _Uh oh. I'm really surprised Samurott wasn't roaring at me right now._"And earlier, when you Witt were fighting with the Dewott and the rude girl…" _By 'the rude girl', I assume she meant White. I could not argue with this nickname. _"…It was really cool. And I realized… Witt got that cool because he went to all these places you were talking about. And last night, when you were fighting the bad guys. You were fighting by yourself and you don't even know any attacks. All I did was shake behind you."_

"Nah. Joel and Perry were the ones who fought."

"_Nuh-uh. I meant before that. You just used that extending-thingy, but you still kicked a whole lotsa butt. And… that mainland place you told me about. I want to see those places. I want to explore that mainland. I want to see all new places. I want to battle and be really cool, like you!"_

I was blushing. There was no hiding it. Cool. That's a new word. There was no possible way I could do this. It was no secret that Samurott was protective of her daughter. As a result, it wasn't exactly rocket science to figure out how she felt about this. So, even though I would have been more than happy to battle and add a new friend to my roster, I shook my head. Amber's face fell. I opened my mouth to say no.

My vision of Amber was replaced with Samurott's face as she slid in front of me. I flinched, staring like an idiot directly into her eyes. She placed a warm paw on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. She nodded, giving me a friendly smile.

"You sure?" I asked. She nodded once more.

"Uh…Black?" I jumped. I had forgotten that Ellen and Bianca were behind me. Granted, these two were the ones who knew I could talk to Pokémon, but the fact that _they_couldn't talk to Pokémon made this whole thing sort of awkward. "What're they saying?"

"Long story! I'll explain later!" I shouted back before returning to the matter at hand. I used my arm that wasn't being grabbed and patted Samurott's neck. "Alright. Only if you're sure."

She got out of my way after giving me a third nod. Amber looked up at me with pleading eyes and I responded with a thumbs up. Her expression lit up.

"I'm warning you though. If you do come with, it's gonna be a long road. And battling isn't exactly a walk on the beach. Furthermore, you're not going to be coming back to see your mom for a very, _very_long time."

"_I know. But I'm sure."_

I sighed. No backing out now.

"Okay then. Get yourself ready."

"_YES!"_Amber shouted, enthusiastically running in circles like a Lillipup about to receive her dinner. She ran up the hill, towards where Cilan was packing up. She turned around, staring right at me, tail wagging as she narrowed her eyes. _"I'm ready to roll. Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"_

"Hoo boy," I said softly to myself as I thought about how to proceed here. However, deciding was not to be my fate, it seemed. Iva's arms had softened from around my neck, uncurling as she slid herself off of me. She folded her arms, stepping out in front of me, a cold stare stabbing Amber right through the heart as Iva opened her eyes. "Uh…Iva?"

"_I'll see if she's got what it takes." _Iva stated coolly, waving a leafy hand in a 'bring-it-on' motion at Amber. Amber visibly gulped.

"Um…okay…" I muttered, not entirely sure what train of thought she was robbing. I received another nod of approval from Samurott, took a deep breath… and got my game face on. Granted, we had a type disadvantage. But on the flip side… this is Iva we're talking about. I glanced at Ellen and Bianca. "Long story short, the Tepig wants to battle, Samurott over there's my good friend, and they're mother and daughter. Got it?"

"But they're completely different-"

"Good. Glad we had this conversation. Iva! Lead off with Leaf Tornado!" Iva flipped onto her hands, spinning onto her head as Leaf Tornado whirled into existence at her tail. The vortex nearly caught Amber within, the pig narrowly dodging it by tumbling out of the way. She landed on her face, Iva getting a glint in her eye.

"Vine Whip!" I ordered to which Iva responded with resounding compliance. The vines emerged from her lapels, sneakily making their way towards Amber before coiling around the swine tightly. Then, without my order, she threw Amber towards the river, the fire type arcing in the air as she descended towards the deep center of the river.

I gulped and looked over at Samurott to see how she felt about this. I was surprised at the very least. She was very calm. Her face was serene as could be as Amber fell from above. I had to focus. Samurott wanted this to happen for some reason.

And I really should have focused the whole time. Maybe then I would have noticed Amber's creative comeback. As she nosedived, Amber stared at her probable landing spot, unperturbed. Iva crossed her arms smugly, ignorant of what was about to transpire. Amber squinted as her snout exploded with flames, which streamed downward, becoming steam as they hit the water. The flames propelled Amber back into the air like a missile. Once she had "flown" directly above Iva, she nosedived again, her body suddenly bursting into flames.

"Oh crud-" I started.

"_-Flame Charge," _Iva finished, narrowly rolling out of the impact site. Amber was quicker than we thought, landing on her feet and leaping in Iva's direction. Iva had thought she was out of the line of fire (no pun intended) and was caught off guard, receiving a nasty burn as she was thrown across the meadow.

"_I did it!" _Amber shouted, pointing her nose in the air and grinning. I don't know what she was so happy about. Iva wasn't out yet. The snake clambered up, eyes narrowing at the pig.

"Iva, Vine Whip!" Amber, having thought Iva to be dealt with in one super-effective hit, fell prey to Iva' vines, legs becoming shackled together via vegetative manacles. Iva brought and suspended the surprised swine in the air, smirking. Amber attempted to fight her off, her snout blasting blazing hot embers at Iva. As expected, Iva slipped out of the way of each one, keeping Amber in midair as she did so. "Whip her round!"

Amber looked squeamish as Iva began to whirl her around in midair, the pig's face contorting sickly. Once she looked dizzy enough, Iva chucked her to the river again, bottom first this time. Amber looked so queasy I thought she wasn't even aware that she'd been dropped. She became lucid rather quickly when she landed in the later, making uncomfortable noises as she launched herself out of the water, looking about ready to puke when she escaped. I decided she'd had enough.

"Okay, here goes," I said, reaching for a pokéball in my bag. I pulled out a level ball. Considering how fast I'd beaten her down despite the type disadvantage, I figured it would work. I tossed the level ball, the black, red, and gold sphere bonking into Amber's snout and drawing her in. The sphere hit the ground as my heart began to pump. The ball started rocking and beeping, my organ vibrating like a sound wave.

Until it stopped after two rolls.

I nearly fell over out of sheer awkwardness. Iva, however, just shrugged. She used Vine Whip to pick up the ball, tossing it back to me gently. I fumbled with it a bit before clasping both hands around the orb, making sure to be careful if only not to anger Samurott.

Thankfully, I don't think that was a concern. In an instant, a wet Samurott arm had wrapped around me, squeezing my uncomfortably tight into Samurott's shoulder. The wet dog smell slightly retracted from the affection I was supposed to feel, but I suppressed it.

"_Please,"_Samurott began, _"take care of her."_

"I will," I replied. "But why're you-"

"_I want her to be strong." _Samurott seemed to shudder slightly, sparking my curiosity without her following up on it. _"I need her to be strong on her own so she can protect herself. But… I can't bear the thought of training her myself. I could hurt her seriously. You, Black… you are a strong human. Last night, you fought despite not having the abilities of a Pokémon. I know you can train her to be safe and strong so she can protect herself when no one can be there for her."_

"Samurott…"I said simply as I recalled the previous night and the certain…object I had found in her cave. "Did something…"

"_Please. Take care of her."_

"I will." I gulped. She was sure to change the subject quickly. I thought, perhaps, that I should simply comply with her wishes. I hugged her back with one arm and released Amber from her pokéball with the other. Once Samurott released me, Amber leapt out from behind me, jumped into Samurott's arms, and brushed the top of her head against Samurott's chin.

"_Bye mom. I'm really gonna miss you."_

"_I will as well. But be strong now. Be safe. And do not hinder Black."_

"_I won't Mom." _She looked close to tearing up, but held back. She forced a smile and bounded towards me, smiling up at me. _"I'm ready now."_

I nodded. Then I looked back at Samurott. She grinned at me too. I sighed. Bittersweet goodbyes. I hate these. However, I heard another sigh that knocked me out of it. It made me flinch instinctually.

"_Look,"_I heard Iva say as she walked past my ankles, arms crossed and approaching Amber. She gave a kind smile, the first I'd seen in a long while. Amber just blinked at her. _"It'll be fine. You managed to land a blow on me. Not everyone can do that. Don't be nervous. Consider yourself part of… an extended family now."_

Amber grinned and I nearly fainted. Did Iva really just say that?

"_However,"_she released a vine, holding it in front of Amber's face, fang's bared. Amber flinched, as did I. _"Don't tell anyone I said that."_

Ah, there was the Iva I knew.

"Black," Ellen started, smiling sadly. "I have no idea what's going on."

"Yeah," Bianca said as she tapped her chin in thought. "You haven't been translating for us at all."

"Oh…sorry…" I responded, realization hitting me that those two had been standing behind me the whole time. I brushed the back of my head in embarrassment. "…But I can't really-"

"I know." Ellen said, walking up to me and poking me harshly in the nose. "Just for next time. Okay?"

"Ow…sure…" I should not have said 'ow'. Or maybe Ellen shouldn't have poked me. Either way, two seconds later, she was booking it away from Iva.

* * *

><p>"Phew…"Arcade exhaled, drawing heavy breaths as he walked alongside the mountain, slumping to the ground. His Timburr followed suit, an understanding smile on his face. "Maybe this whole traveling thing was a bad idea. I'm gonna be the one in need of medical attention if I stay with Ellen any longer."<p>

"Timburr. Tim."

"I don't know why I talk to you." Arcade groaned, thinking himself slightly insane. The fighting type smiled, patting his trainer's back.

_GRAAAAAAH!_

"What the-?" Arcade jumped onto his feet at the sudden roar in his ears. He whirled around, looking at the mountain, as the sound had come from it. Richter blinked at him, confused. "Didn't you hear that?"

The Timburr shrugged. Arcade was about to dismiss it as hearing things when he heard it again.

_I…need…_

Arcade gulped.

… _your help…_

**End of Chapter 30.**

**Sorry for the long wait again. Then again, I suppose we all must be used to it by now. Holidays with school and traveling combined makes for little free time. See you next chapter everyone, I hope you enjoyed!**

**Next Chapter: Terrakion**

**Question: Which is your favourite region?**


	31. Terrakion

**X and Y are nearly here! Let's celebrate by updating for once!**

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**Spyhunter – Maaaaybe, but I doubt our friend Black will stop catching Pok****émon**** now. He's just getting the hang of it.**

**Pokelover0ash – Thanks!**

**Russetwing – Apollo's here and he's ready to brawl! No one get in his way or he'll make you disappear. :3 As for Arcade, all shall be clear right here!**

**Paula-Ana – It wasn't soon, but I hope you enjoy anyway!**

**Mr. Haziq – A very understandable opinion.**

**Cyndaquil123 – I love that you're theorizing! Feels so rewarding to write!**

**Pokelover – Hope this was worth the wait!**

**Knight Flamma – Done and done!**

**Chapter 31: Terrakion **

Arcade massaged his temples, taking deep breaths to calm down. Richter stared at his trainer, blinking in confusion as the doctor-in-training tried to rationalize his apparent hallucination.

"It's been a long day," he said to himself. "You're tired and you've been deprived of oxygen due to Ellen's hugs. Now just…" Arcade then realized that he was talking to himself. He grimaced, groaned, and stopped rubbing his temples.

_I'm not… your imagination…_

Arcade gulped.

_I wouldn't ask for your help… human… if I didn't need it… please… all the Pokémon on this island need you…_

"What are you-?" Arcade stopped himself when he caught himself talking to his 'delusions'. He facepalmed.

_Quick… I don't know how long I can keep this up…_

"Okay! Fine. Just… Just please shut up." Arcade shouted into his palm, frustration burning his crimson face.

"Uh, dude?" Arcade's stomach flash froze as Zack's voice popped up behind him. My friend turned around, finding my other friend(?) standing a yard or two away, peering curiously at Arcade. "Who're you talking to?"

Arcade remained silent, clearly thinking himself insane. He avoided eye contact and shuffled backward slowly. The pit in his gut could only be matched by Zack's suspicion.

"Are you… okay dude?"

"I heard someone…" Arcade responded in a hushed tone. Zack pointed at his ears, indicating that he hadn't heard Arcade. "I heard someone… calling for help."

"And… you told this person to shut up?"

"It… wasn't… I mean… that's not… Look, I-"

"Save it, save it. Just tell me where you heard it."

"Why?"

"So we can go help 'em of course."

"Wait… why do you want to help?"

"Cause I got nuthin' better to do." It was hard for Arcade to argue with that. "I lost dude. I gotta do something to take my mind off it. So where'd you hear it?"

Arcade looked at the ground sheepishly and pointed at the mountain. He expected Zack to laugh at him or call him crazy. After all, how exactly was one supposed to hear someone call for help with meters of solid rock in the way? He found that, as he shut his eyes preparing for it, he didn't hear the sounds of Zack's laughter and instead felt a rush of air as the trainer whizzed past him. Arcade whirled around, watching as Zack grabbed two pokéballs from his pockets and tossed them, releasing Martin his Darmanitan and a small green lizard Pokémon with two tusks and red curious eyes.

"You have an Axew?" Arcade asked as he and Richter stared at the dragon type.

"Yeah!" Zack gave a thumbs up. "Now let's crack this thing open. Martin, Blade, both of you use Dig!"

"Axew!"

"Darm!"

The Darmanitan got to work immediately, slamming his fists into the mountainside. As a consequence, rock shards scattered in all directions. The primate continued to pound at the stone wall, Axew falling suit by slashing at areas Martin had weakened with his tusks. Arcade scratched his head as the orchestra of smashing ascended in volume. He then felt a tug at his pant leg and he looked down to find Richter trying to get his attention. The smiling fighting type nodded his head towards Zack.

"Wait… what can you do?" Arcade asked, understanding the meaning behind the gesture. Richter shrugged and walked towards the mountain casually. In what resembled an act of rage, Richter planted the end of his two-by-four into the rocky earth with a crack, launching himself at the mountain. He then began to use dig, taking large chunks out of the wall with ease. Arcade stared, wide-eyed at his helpful medical assistant in awe.

"Wow, I didn't know your Timburr could use Dig!" Zack said, grinning up a storm as he gave Arcade a friendly nudge.

"Neither did I…" Arcade responded quietly so that Zack wouldn't hear.

"Hmm, where is she?" I said as I stamped my foot on the ground impatiently, the river flowing next to me. The group of Bianca, Cilan, Ellen, Juniper, and I had split up for our matches. Ellen and Bianca had gone together to their battle site and Cilan had left for a walk-and-talk with Juniper, leaving me there for my battle. Don George had arrived, looking just as impatient as I was. Tony was on top of my head, watching a group of Pidove pass overhead as Witt took a nap on top of Perry who was lying down nibbling at the grass. Amber poked her head out of my bag, sniffed at the air, grinned and returned back inside the bag to curl up in the nest of my freshly cleaned socks (which I would have to clean again later). I stared at my X-transceiver again. "Nessie was supposed to turn up ten minutes ago."

Don George sighed. He was obviously fed up with waiting too. I heard him muttering some… less than polite words under his breath which I was beginning to agree with. Until, at last, I heard an out-of-breath voice call out to me.

"Sorry I'm late!" Nessie cried out as she ran towards Don George and I. We both looked up, grumbling in frustration. But before I could even fix my eyes on her she shoved something into my arms. I turned my gaze to my hands where I saw a box of chocolates. Immediately my weirdness alarm went off. Not an easy thing to do considering how desensitized I was to weirdness by that point. She then handed Don George a similar box. The battle manager regarded the box with disdain. "I wanted to celebrate the big win earlier today. It was pretty close. I think my hair's still standing up a little from all that static electricity-"

"THE BATTLE WAS MEANT TO START TEN MINUTES AGO!" Don George shouted like a drill sergeant. Witt woke with a start, leaping about five feet into the air and toppling into the grass pathetically. Perry was unperturbed and continued to chip away at the meadow.

"Wow… you're angry." Nessie responded while keeping that upbeat smile. She then turned to me and waved. "Hi! So you're my competition today, Black?"

"Yeah…" My anger long forgotten, I stared at the girl with a quirked brow as Tony 'inconspicuously' sampled the chocolates while hanging off my jacket. She had a few hours to buy chocolates for her second round victory and she was still late.

"Shall we get started? Or would you prefer to-"

"LET'S START!" Don George and I declared simultaneously, the two of us also pointing directly at her. "Now get on your side of the river!"

"Okay, okay, geez, simmer down, it's all for fun…" Nessie mumbled as she waded her way to the other side of the river, whirling around to face me. Don George took a deep breath and did his job.

"This battle between Black and Vanessa-"

"Nessie."

"FINE! This battle between Black and Nessie will now begin! Each trainer will use three Pokémon in a Triple Battle format! Once either team is completely unable to battle, the battle will cease! Are you two ready?"

"Ready!" Nessie cried out cheerfully, putting up her hand like she was in Trainer's school.

"Ready!" I responded in kind, getting my battle smile on as Tony hopped off my head (still chomping on a chocolate for the road), Witt came to his senses and Perry… continued to eat grass. He would comprehend eventually when to eat and when to battle, I was sure.

"Then we'll begin as soon as you send out your Pokémon, Van- Nessie!"

"Sure! Let's go everyone!" Nessie chucked her pokéballs one by one. The first opened revealing a Torchic (who I would've been ecstatic to scan with my pokédex if it weren't in Juniper's hands) who chirped in glee to be in battle. No problems there. Witt was in the middle of Tony and Perry, well within range to launch an effective attack. My grin got even wider when she revealed her second Pokémon: A Riolu. Tony was standing directly across from him on my right which made for another effective type advantage. This was shaping up so nicely. I was almost excited to see what her last Pokémon would be.

And I regret that excitement to this day.

"Heh, so Arcade, tell me 'bout yourself," Zack requested, attempting to keep his voice above the sounds of solid rock cracking and shattering from the dark tunnel that the three Pokémon had dug out of the mountain. Occasionally, a giant rock had come soaring out of there like a Braviary with a broken wing, clattering near their feet. Zack seemed unfazed by this while Arcade backed away slowly every time it occurred.

"Not much to… tell… I'm… training to be a doctor, and-" Arcade then blinked at empty space as he realized he was telling this to someone who was basically a complete stranger. He then proceeded to facepalm. "Look, we should just… focus on the matter at hand."

"Yeah, but we're not exactly Pokémon, are we? I'm just trying to make small talk, dude. If you don't want to talk, that's cool." Zack put his hands behind his head and stared off into space, possibly to count the number of rocks his Darmanitan had thrown out of the hole.

The barrage of boulders suddenly ceased and a very frightened Axew poked his head aboveground, calling for help. You didn't need to be a poke-whisperer to figure that out. The pair of boys traversed the small distance and gazed downwards at the steep slide their Pokémon had excavated. There was nothing but darkness below. Arcade was about to suggest finding a light source when Zack decreed the following.

"GERONIMO!" Zack leapt into the unknown tunnel, literally headfirst, Axew hot on his trail. Arcade sighed.

All three of my Pokémon were thrown to my feet. Perry was down for the count and I don't think the pair of Witt and Tony were gonna last much longer. I'd rather not embarrass myself with the details, but long story short… this girl had a secret weapon.

"Okay, Gallade, now use Psycho Cut!"

Yeah.

The humanoid psychic-fighting type Pokémon with blades for elbows swung one of said arms our way, the appendage releasing a wave of pink psychic energy. Tony and Witt were still dazed and struggling to get up. My fists clenched along with my teeth as my heart beat in a samba rhythm. It was extremely frustrating. I hadn't landed a single blow and it was all because of that Gallade. Her other two Pokémon were just sitting there having a chat while the big guy did all the work.

"C'mon guys! We didn't beat White for nothing! Get up!"

"_We're tryin'!" _Witt shouted back just before the Psycho Cut struck and both Pokémon were knocked into my arms, toppling me over with the force of a charging Tauros. After giving my head the much needed rub, I looked into my arms to find that my good day had lost its momentum.

"Oshawott, Victini, and Deino are all unable to battle!" Don George declared. "Which means the winner is Nessie and her Pokémon!"

"Aw, maaaaaan!" I groaned as I recalled all of my friends into their individual pokéballs. I felt as if all the excitement had just been deflated from me. Losing then on the coattails of defeating White stunk something awful. Regardless, I smiled anyway. My Pokémon had definitely gotten stronger after the White battle. Maybe I'd be able to beat Burgh now if I went back. I smiled. Looking on the bright side _did _help things. I stood up and approached Nessie as she returned her own Pokémon to their pokéballs, crossing the river with a strong hop. I held my hand out for a shake and she grinned back at me sweetly. "Thanks for the battle Ness."

"No problem. It was fun."

"Yeah, it's fun to win, isn't it?"

"Heheh, mayyyyybe a bit." She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Pretty strong Gallade you got there. You must be a pro, huh?"

"Umm, not really." I tilted my head at her in confusion. "Uh, it's my mom's actually. She kinda… gave him to me as a… protector of sorts."

"HUH?!" The tilt in my head increased.

"Long story."

"Well, Black, it was good to see you participate," I heard Don George speak up. I turned to him and banished my confusion to bring the happy-happy, everything-is-fine-if-you-force-it smile back. The battle manager thrust something into my hands and I stared puzzlingly at it. It was a ziplock packet, about the size of my fist, filled to the tightly sealed brim with a fine black powder. "That's Sacred Ash. It's said to be from fires left by the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh. Those packs are the consolation prize for every entrant. Sprinkle some of that on a weak Pokémon and it'll reenergize 'em instantly. It's really rare, that stuff is, so use it wisely."

"Wow, seriously?" Wasn't complaining about losing now. Ash from the legendary flames of life sure wasn't something I was going to be disappointed over.

I said my goodbyes to Nessie and the Don, heading off towards the mountain. The heat of the blazing sun was really getting to me, so I decided to head for the forest where shade would actually exist. As I began the trek through the blistering heat, I felt a rustling in my bag just as Amber poked her head out to stare at me. I jumped. I forgot she was there.

"_That didn't go so well." _Amber said. I huffed and shrugged.

"Can't win 'em all, Amber. Just the ones that count." I folded my hands behind my head, still on a high horse after White's downfall no matter how bad a loss was just inflicted upon me. "Maybe this is a good thing. Now we can spend a few hours training you up!"

"_Really?" _Her tail must've been wagging in the bag since there was now something else moving in there behind her. I snickered and winked.

"Sure. Just lemme find us some shade first. I'm sweatin' like a-" I stopped there for obvious reasons and just left Amber to wonder how that sentence was going to end. There was an instant coolness as the foliage of the tropical trees washed over me. I let out an extended "Ahhhh," when the heat was all but banished. Amber leapt out of my bag and faced me with that excited Lillipup-look that made me giggle again. "Eager to start, there?"

"_Yeah! What first?"_

"First, we test out this sacred ash stuff." I took Tony, Witt, and Perry's pokéballs and released the trio, their tired forms appearing before me. They were all laying down, grumbling softly to themselves as I removed the sacred ash from my pack. I opened the packet and took a pinch of ash, sprinkling the stuff over my fatigued friends. For a few seconds, nothing happened. However, I pulled back slightly when I saw the specks of ash begin to glow ever so slightly. When the glow faded, all three of them leapt to their feet with huge smiles and tails in motion. "Wow, feeling better guys?"

Their faces fell when they heard me. The trio hung their heads in shame and started mumbling in unison.

"_Sorry, Bro."_

"_My bad, Bro."_

"_Perry sorry, Mama."_

"H-Hey now, guys! No need to worry. We gave it all we got and that's all I can ask for."

"_You're too soft, Bro!" _Witt burst out in a sudden rage. He then faced Amber and pointed at her with a toothy smirk. _"How 'bout some practice, Amber? Next time I face off against a Gallade, I'll show 'im who the real swords master is!"_

"_Yeah, s-sure!" _Amber replied.

I thought about it and decided to get everyone some practice. I reached for my other two pokéballs and released the Snivy and Joltik sealed inside. Iva looked as happy-go-lucky as ever and Joel stood there blinking his wide eyes in the cool air.

"Okay guys. Listen up. We may be out of the tournament, but that wasn't the goal of this trip! It was to get strong enough to beat that Burgh! So let's get some exercise in! Witt, I want you to take turns with Amber practicing your moves. Amber, use Flame Charge on him and Witt, you can use your scalchop to block it. Then use Razor Shell, so Amber can practice dodging. Got it?"

The two nodded and got to work. Amber was already building up flames around her body.

"Right, now for the rest of you!"

The crunches beneath the feet of themselves and their Pokémon were the only sounds the boys made as they tiptoed through the tunnel. The Pokémon had tried to make as much space as possible, but the two humans still had to squat to move effectively. It was just the right size for his Darmanitan, however, who was taking the lead in order to light the way with his eyebrows. The Blazing Pokémon had brought a finger to his mouth before they got too far into the tunnel, indicating for the pair to be silent. Why, they didn't know. But if they tried to make a sound, the Axew and Timburr following close behind would make the gesture again to emphasize the need for quiet. Bewildered, they kept moving without speaking.

Eventually, the crew came to a corner in the road. Arcade raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw the miniscule light emanating from around it. They hadn't made it that far underground, but they had burrowed into the mountain itself. The very presence of light was quite the anomaly.

The humans rounded the corner and squinted as the bright light filtered into their unprepared lenses. Upon adjusting, Arcade's brow raised further. The sharp light was shining through a head-sized hole at the end of the tunnel. He and Zack squeezed past the Darmanitan with a certain amount of difficulty so they could each peer through the hole with a single eye, both of them widening at the same time as if they belonged to the same person.

"What's going on here?" Zack rasped the question as the pair stared downward. The two were peering at a tunneled out, circular room lit with hung bulbs. In the center was a hulking figure of a Pokémon. It was a quadruped Pokémon with a bear-like body and gray coloring. Its tail was stubby and it had a black, rounded forehead as well as two sharp brown horns that came forward from its back. Its face was beige, with orange irises. It had claws under bands on its legs, the bands the same color as its face. Its underside was also beige with stripes. The beast would look rather intimidating were it not for the purple bruises, scars, and gashes along its furred body. Some of these cuts looked very fresh with genuine blood leaking out. Its legs were restrained with tight-looking cuffs attached to massive chains which bound the creature to the ground. The cause of which, the pair of humans deduced, was a duo of women in familiar medieval costume standing guard at an opening in the cave.

"I've seen this before," said Arcade with a mixture of tenseness and rage in his voice. "It was in a painting hanging on the wall where Ellen and I slept last night. That's… Terrakion."

"That mean the legend's true?" Zack asked.

"Don't know. Doubt it. Don't care. We gotta help it. Those people must've hurt it!"

"Those guys… I saw them when I was in Nacrene City." Zack mused. "They're called Team Plasma. They always make big speeches about how humans hurt Pokémon, yadda, yadda, and that we should free them."

"They're not exactly taking their own advice, are they?" Arcade snarled, fists clenched. "They're not even trying to heal it. I've gotta get in there!"

"Dude, that's a legendary Pokémon! Y'think they're just gonna let you get to it?! They probably want to use it for themselves!"

"Which is why, Zack, we gotta get in there and help, now!"

_You… You came. Thank you, human._

"Wh-What?" Arcade spluttered upon hearing the peculiar, gruff voice once again. Zack gave him a quizzical look, Arcade's brain remarkably confused at what he heard. His head turned to where the voice was the loudest- toward Terrakion. "D-Did you-?"

_Yes. I did. Thank you for coming. I will not forget this. You said you're a healer?_

"Um… well… I can help you, if that's what you mean. I'm not experienced, but I can definitely heal those injuries of yours."

"Who're you talking to?" Zack questioned with a scratch of his head. Arcade rightfully ignored him.

_Thank you… but… I was hoping for a warrior. Then again, if you've managed to synchronize with my spirit, then you must not be completely helpless._

"Gee thanks," muttered the doctor sarcastically.

_Sorry, boy. Not quite accustomed to synchronizing with humans. And I find it difficult to speak to your kind without disgust after a few weeks with this bunch. _

"We're not all like that."

_Being able to sync up with you proves that._

"What're talking about- synchronizing?"

_Some of us legendary types have low level telepathic abilities. When we need to, especially in an emergency, we can communicate with minds similar to our own. I've communicated with my comrades in this manner sometimes. We call it 'synchronizing'. _

"By comrades, do you mean… Cobalion and Virizion?"

_Yeah._

"I don't believe it." Arcade silently facepalmed. "The stupid legend is true."

_Whose legend are you calling stupid, human? You don't even have a legend. Unless there's one about the rude, fleshy, healer human. _

"Fair enough," he groaned as his head shook roughly in an effort to clear itself. "Sorry, s'just… don't believe in myths."

_Wise of you. But even myths can teach you something, human. Not saying my own life is a myth or anything, though. _

Arcade was about to answer when all of a sudden, he felt himself falling forward. He heard the sound of rock crumbling and gritted his teeth when light shone through the ever-enlarging cracks in the wall. His heart skipped a beat while his body froze in his tumble into the well-lit cave. He collapsed onto the ground, grunting painfully on impact. More grunts soon followed as multiple stones of varying densities bonked against his back. Zack's startled voice piped up next to Arcade, indicating he had fallen as well.

"What the-" so popped an unfamiliar voice; one which most definitely belonged to the Plasma guards. There were more sounds of something heavy landing near Arcade and the cries which followed indicated Zack's Darmanitan and Axew. Arcade turned his woozy head upward to find the pair of Pokémon in an aggressive stance between him and the gaping Plasma grunts.

"Why're they here?" The sharp-nosed woman on the right asked, puzzled.

"Don't know," said the rotund woman on the left, retrieving a pokéball from her robes. "But I'm sure they'll be eager to answer."

"Grrr, don't think so!" Zack declared as he dusted himself off, not looking a bit hindered from his fall. "You guys'll pay for hurtin' this Tellokan!"

"Terrakion," Arcade corrected him.

"Whatever! Martin! Blade! Use-!"

"Lilligant, sleep powder!" The Plasma grunt ordered as she threw her pokéball with a surprising amount of gusto. The Flowering Pokémon emerged, releasing murky green spores from the flower on its head. The cluster slowly spread through the room like a fog. It engulfed Zack's Pokémon in its viscous embrace. Their lids drooped a bit before they collapsed, sleep overtaking them.

Without another thought, Arcade covered his mouth with his coat and held his breath. Zack, unfortunately didn't do the same. The trainer followed suit with his Pokémon. He fought off the sleep as long as he could, but eventually, his legs wobbled and he faceplanted. That made Arcade cringed. Unperturbed, the doctor fell to the ground just before the cloud reached him. He then shut his eyes and kept his breath held, going completely limp in a fake sleeping position.

"There. Simple enough, eh?" mused the woman who had called the attack. Arcade opened an eye just a crack- enough to see that the spores had dispersed. He quickly closed it when the Plasma grunts began to approach. There was a rustling sound next to him, followed by the sound of a pokéball recalling the Pokémon it usually holds. "And now that they're asleep, we can liberate them with ease. Aren't I smart?"

Arcade had to resist arching an eyebrow at the word "liberate". He held strong and even managed to keep still when the other Plasma guard started searching through his pockets where it tickled most.

"This guy's got no Pokémon. Just a bunch of useless crap."

By 'useless crap', I assume she meant the first aid kits he carried around with him. The urge to punch in Arcade was steadily rising, but he kept it down. He also silently thanked himself for forgetting to bring Richter's pokéball along.

"I'll go inform Sage Gorm of the intrusion. You stay here and keep an eye on them."

"While you're at it, grab something to tie 'em up. Until then, I'll just put 'em to sleep again if they wake up."

Arcade squinted his eyes open slightly. Zack's slumbering form provided a wall between him and the guard, giving him the liberty to look at the hole he'd fallen through. There was Richter, hiding in the shadows with a less than thrilled look on his face. Arcade nodded his head in the opposite direction where they'd come from. Richter hesitated, then returned the nod, and finally began to jog back up the tunnel.

"Darumaka, Scraggy, Honchkrow, and Oshawott are all unable to battle!" Don George shouted, arms spread wide to indicate the loss of Pokémon for both sides. Said Pokémon lay fainted on the jagged and rocky terrain of the current battlefield. As the dust of the recent, no doubt climactic, explosion settled, the trainers of these Pokémon were revealed. Apollo Ruanea and Ash Ketchum were opposite each other next to a cliff, the sounds of crashing waves coming from below. In front of these two were their current Pokémon partners and only remaining assets in battle. Ash had his Pikachu and Apollo had his Maractus. "Continue."

"I must say, Monsieur Ketchum, you are an intriguing garcon," Apollo said as he recalled his two knocked out Pokémon. "Pulling a move out of zee chapeau like that eez no easy feat."

"Thanks… I think." Ash replied with a shaky smile. I got the feeling from my interactions with him that the guy wasn't particularly cultured. "We battle hard."

"No doubt. However, I must warn you… lightning does not strike twice!" Apollo pointed directly at Ash dramatically, a sinister grin plastered across his face. Ash flinched just a tad, blinking confusedly. Arcade's free hand reached into the opposite arm's sleeve, removing a deck of cards. "Tell me, Monsieur Ketchum… do you believe in fortune telling?"

"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head alongside Ash in perfect unison.

All of a sudden, Arcade knelt down, laying his cape on the ground and placing his shuffled deck on top of it. He drew the first three cards and flipped them over.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked with a scratch of the head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, your future is not looking great, Monsieur." Apollo chuckled. He pointed to the first card, depicting a tall pillar engulfed in flames. "Zee tower. Eet symbolizes downfall and failure. Not off to a good start."

"Whu-?"

"And next… ooh, zat's not good eizer." Apollo pointed to the second card he had drawn, depicting the silhouette of a human. The human appeared to be falling. "Zee fool in zee inverted position. Zee fool is like zee number zero. Empty and with limitless potential. But it _eez _inverted."

"Are we gonna-?"

"_Shush!" _Apollo snarled nastily, worse than Axel's Dragonite ever could. Everyone who wasn't Apollo's Maractus flinched. Apollo then calmed down and continued, pointing to his final card. I don't need to describe this one. Apollo said it all.

"Hmm, there's a devil you're about to face. Now… I wonder… who could zat represent?"

"Feraligatr! Use Hydro Pump! Girafarig! Use Psychic to direct it!"

"Chomper! Hyper Beam!"

Speaking of explosions, the battle between Mila and Yuki wasn't lacking in excitement. It had been going on for half an hour and neither side had budged an inch. Mila was using an impressive blue gator Pokémon called a Feraligatr, a steel-flying type hybrid Skarmory, and the pshycic giraffe that had a face on his tail: a Girafarig. Meanwhile, Yuki was using the two Pokémon I had personally gotten to know (his Scraggy and his Flygon) with the addition of a Pokémon next to him which hadn't moved since the battle began. It resembled a puppet or stuffed toy, only twisted into something dark as night with sinister red eyes and smile that actually turned out to be a zipper if you looked closer. I later recognized this Pokémon as a Banette.

Sections of the meadow surrounding the group had been scorched by recent flames or were still blazing. The Don George present at the match seemed to stunned to make any sort of call.

The Hydro Pump and Hyper Beam collided. Thanks to the focus provided by Girafarig's Psychic, the gushing water had been solid enough to counter the move. The attacks dispersed, however, Chomper was taking much longer to recover, taking deep breaths which could be heard from even Mila's vantage point. This tiny sound caused Mila to grin while Yuki's face twitched angrily.

"Skarmory! Steel Wing!"

"Antoine! Use Focus Blast! Don't let it get close!"

"Girafarig! Light Screen!"

The Scraggy thrust both of his fists forward, a bright, golden shock wave surging in the direction Scraggy had indicated. Specifically, to intercept with Skarmory's diving path. Skarmory's wings were folded at his sides, not even acknowledging the Scraggy's existence. He looked down his beak at the recovering Flygon, wings shining bright as the flying Pokémon prepared to unfold them for a blunt strike to the noggin. The Focus Blast closed in, but, unfortunately for Yuki, Girafarig's eyes glowed and a reflective, translucent wall appeared to reflect the fighting move.

"Grrrraaaaah!" Flygon screeched the moment Skarmory flawlessly executed his Steel Wing. Yuki made a similar roar.

"Feraligatr! Blizzard!" Feraligatr's maw opened, releasing a flurry of snow pellets in a harsh, chilly breeze. Without incident, the ice move met its target, warranting another roar from Team Yuki.

"Flygon is unable to battle!" Don George declared, albeit shakily. "Continue the battle!"

"My brother's a pain, but that's what you get for messing with my family." Mila said, brandishing her gloved knuckles threateningly. Yuki recalled his Flygon with a glare, not exploding with rage just yet. "Not naming names… but I heard you were nuts. Guess that might be what's detracting from your battle skills."

"Hehehehehe," Yuki snickered through gritted teeth. Mila quirked a brow. "That so?"

"Lil bit. Yeah…"

"What the hell do you know? You don't even know who you're dealing with!"

Yuki turned to his Banette. He didn't move.

"You're up… Puppeteer."

"Zorua, Shadow Ball on Munna! Blitzle, Charge Beam on Pignite! Whirlipede, Steamroller on Mincinno!"

"Mincinno, Swift! Pignite, dodge! Munna, Hypnosis!"

Ellen and Bianca had met up at the beach where White and I had fought. Compared to the other two battles, this one was looking pretty tame and traditional. Whirlipede swirled towards the chinchilla Pokémon while Blitzle charged up for an electric smack-down. On the opposite side, however, Munna's eyes were already glowing. Zorua, having been staring at her target fell right into her trap (and asleep for that matter) before the thought of using Shadow Ball had finished processing, head drooping into the sand. Mincinno whipped his tail at the approaching bug type, sending small shimmering stars to stop the behemoth. If you were paying attention to my battle with Burgh, you may have theorized that this was a bad idea. And it was. Mincinno was run over by the millipede Pokémon without hesitation, the rodent struggling to get up after being smushed into the sand. Pignite was having much better luck avoiding damage. He may have looked chubby, but he was effectively leaping over each predictable blast from Blitzle.

"Go Pignite! Go! Go! Go! Dodge! Dodge! Dodge!"

"Zorua! Wake up already!" Zorua snored silently. "Dang it! Blitzle, long range isn't working! Get in close with Quick Attack!"

"Pignite! Flame Charge!"

The two Pokémon raced at each other as ordered, a torrent of flame bursting from Pignite's body while Blitzle sped up. They collided with one another, Blitzle losing in the contest of strength. The firey blow was enough to topple the zebra Pokémon over. Bianca wasn't finished either.

"Now Pignite! Use Heat Crash!" Pignite leapt up with remarkable grace for his size and slammed into Blitzle with a red hot bottom. Blitzle, naturally, fainted.

"Dang it!" Ellen seethed as she recalled her well-spoken Pokémon. "Come on Whirlipede! We're not done yet! Use Rollout!"

"Pignite, Flamethrower! Munna, Psybeam! Mincinno, Swift!" The three Pokémon fired off their individual attacks, stars swirling with the torrent of flame and stream of multicolored psychic energy. The concentrated moves had enough force to not only slow Whirlipede down, but also send him spinning in the opposite direction. The bug Pokémon went into an unwilling reverse, smacking into the downed Zorua on the way back. Zorua woke up just to faint, following suit with Whirlipede who had already done so after tipping over.

"Ellen's Pokémon are unable to battle! The winner is Bianca!" Don George bellowed. Ellen bowed her head as Bianca jumped for joy alongside her Pignite.

"Hooraaaay! Way to go everyone!" Bianca cheered. Ellen looked back up and smiled at her competition. She walked over to Zorua and Whirlipede, patting them each individually.

"You did great, guys. We had a lot of fun. Get some rest." With that, she recalled her team and looked over to Bianca who grinned back at her. "You were awesome!"

"No, you were, we just got lucky!"

The girls rushed to each other and shared a hug. PIgnite, Munna, and Mincinno smiled giddily at each other. Don George was indifferent.

Just then, Bianca's X-transceiver made a beeping noise. The ladies instantly broke apart, Ellen sliding in next to Bianca to see the news. The message from the tournament runners was as follows:

"_CONGRATULATIONS Pokémon Trainers!_

_You've stood the test of the first three rounds and have come out shining bright! Be proud!_

_You'll have thirty minutes until your semifinal match! Approach the north side of Battle Spire Mountain. The preparations for a Rotation Battle have been made. Rest up and prepare for your next fight. You will have an audience this time._

_Best of luck, trainers! And may the best team win!_

_Matchups:_

_Yuki vs. Apollo_

_Bianca vs. Nessie"_

"WHAAAAT?!" Ellen shouted, the startled Bianca covering her ears. "BLACK LOST TOO?!"

"Owww, my poor eaaaars," Bianca whined.

"Aw man, that means that Nessie is really tough…"

"How do you know?" Bianca asked.

"Well, I mean, he beat White. And after all the stuff I've heard about her, that's pretty good. If Nessie beat _him, _then…"

"Wow, you're right. This'll be fun, then!"

"Huh?" Ellen quirked a brow.

"Fighting strong people makes more intense battles, right? I want to learn as much as possible!"

Ellen sighed and then smiled. She winked at Bianca, gave her a thumbs up, and spoke with encouragement.

"I'll come with 'ya. Gotta support my BFF."

"Thanks Ellen! Pignite! Munna! Mincinno! We can't lose now!"

"Pignite!"

"Cinno!"

"Munna!"

"Phew!" I breathed as I wiped the sweat from my brow. To anyone else, the situation I was in would look ridiculous. I was currently flat on my stomach, a pair of vine whips uncurling from my middle, as the owner caught her breath in front of me. We had been testing Iva's strength, and this guy decided to join in with the training by acting as the resistance machine. My other Pokémon were feeling the burn from the workout as well. Amber had been practicing her Tackle attack on Witt, who was blocking with his scalchop. I had sent Joel to work on his Electro Bolas combo, but it wasn't going that well. He'd charge an Electro Ball, spin his thread, and then the whole thing would come apart and explode in his face. The explosions were powerful, though, so, that was something. As for Tony and Perry, they were doing the important job of goofing off and prancing around to gather flowers. The legendary Victory Pokémon, ladies and gentlemen! Give him a round of applause.

"_Come on, you can do better than that!" _I heard Witt taunt Amber as I gave Iva some Pokémon food. I glanced over and sighed. I really needed to teach Witt something called "tact". Amber was trying her best, blasting into the shell with as much power as she could, but Witt was much stronger and more experienced. The cocky otter giggled, getting some sort of kick out of teasing the poor pig. _"Sorry, was I meant to feel that?"_

I was about to raise my voice, when I heard some pretty harsh huffs from Amber. To my surprise, she was taking Witt's attitude in stride, stomping her foot on the ground in defiance. She leaped forward once more her fur gaining a sheen it hadn't had before. I think I felt the force of her tackle as she slammed into that scalchop with all her strength. Witt's regret was painted all over his face as Amber punted him straight into a tree with enough force to create an audible 'thump!'

I whistled and grinned at Amber. She wagged her tail, smiling just as broadly. Iva nodded in approval.

"Wow, what a Take Down!" My smile faded once that voice spoke up from behind me. Iva and I whirled around to find a familiar trio making their way towards us. Ash, Iris, and Cilan waved at me on their approach, incurring a greeting from me.

"Heya guys!" I said as we commenced smiling at one another.

"Hi Black," Iris said as her Axew popped out of her hair for a moment to have his say.

"_Hello!" _Axew said.

"_Good to see you again," _Pikachu said, still attached to Ash's shoulder.

"So, you lost too, huh?" Cilan asked, throwing gallons of salt in the freshly opened wound for kicks, I assumed.

"Yeah… No matter though, we always bounce back!" I puffed my chest out, doing a damn good job of hiding my crippled soul if I do say so myself. "Wait, what do you mean I lose 'too'?"

"Well… I kinda went down too," Ash said bashfully, rubbing the back of your head. I quirked a brow.

"Who'd you lose to?"

"Apollo. Things got nasty near the end. Oh well, we had fun."

"Yeah… that guy's pretty good." I exposited as if I actually knew what I was talking about. "I saw him at the contest in Castelia. He was no slouch."

"Well, we were on our way to watch the semi-finals," Cilan explained. He then bowed to me respectively. "Would you care to join us?"

"Sure. I'd love to!" I answered truthfully before turning back to my team. "Hey, guys, come on, let's-"

"_BLAAAAAAAACK!" _I whirled around at the sound of the tense voice. I gulped, sweat dripping from my forehead.

Richter the Timburr was running to me in a panic. Arcade was nowhere in sight.

**End of Chapter Thirty-One!**

**Hey everybody, thanks for being so patient if you're still reading. If not, hope you're doing well. Since you're not reading this, you'll never know it, but still! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I've said it before, but I'll be a lot quicker in updating now. This time for sure! The next chapter's already halfway done!**

**Thanks for reading! Seeya next time! And don't forget to drop a review if you can!**

**-The Last Dragonite**

**Question: Chespin, Fennekin or Froakie?**


	32. Absolute Chaos in Battle Spire Mountain

**Chapter 32: Battle Spire Mountain Part 1**

"Richter, where the heck taking me?!" I asked as the Timburr began to pull me by the sleeve. Cilan, Ash, Iris, and my Pokémon hot on our tail. Richter had reached out for me with the utmost urgency and began dragging me forward without so much as a hello. Apparently being the only people to actually care about my safety, the trio of Pokémon trainers decided to follow us. "And where's Arcade?"

"_He's in trouble- huff- needs your help!" _Richter replied in a panic. I gaped at him.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Huh?" I heard Iris pipe up behind me. I really need to remember these people can't understand Pokémon _before _I open my mouth. Embarrassed blushing appeared on my face in an instant. There was no way to misinterpret what just happened. There went my cover.

"Black, you're acting as if you can talk to that Timburr…" Cilan muttered. I groaned.

"Yeah, that's cause I can!"

"What? No way!" Ash replied. I was fed up with people getting off the topic of what Richter was doing already and decided to prove it.

"Pikachu!" I yelled, the rodent tilting his head at me. "What colour are Ash's pajamas?"

"_Green," _he replied quickly.

"They're green, Ash!" I shouted. Ash gasped alongside Iris and Cilan. Iris' face flushed and she turned to the Axew which had popped out of her hair at some point.

"Axew don't tell him any of my secrets! DON'T!" she demanded rather quickly. I almost laughed at Axew's compliant, yet fearful, expression. There was no room for laughter, though. Whatever trouble Arcade was in, Richter was certainly not laughing about it. I picked up the pace, resulting in a grateful nod from Richter.

"So… what kind of trouble?" I asked again.

"_He… started hearing voices-" _This was starting out well. _"-but he was really hearing a legendary Pokémon inside the mountain, so-"_

"He was hearing a what?!"

"Who was hearing what?" Cilan asked. I gave him a hand gesture to indicate I would tell him later.

"_Lemme finish! We came across these humans in costumes, but they were holding it captive! And not even with a pokéball! They were intentionally hurting it!"_

"Huh? Then shouldn't we-" I was about to finish my sentence about going to some authorities for help. However, I quickly realized that going to anyone and claiming that a talking Pokémon told you that his trainer needed help with a bunch of Pokémon poachers wasn't the most solid case in the universe. "So… who were they? The guys holding the Pokémon?"

"_Uhh… that weird guy Zack said it was Team Plum Sauce?"_

"Team Plasma?!" I screeched us both to a stop, the Timburr's grip slipping at the sudden stop. He fell over in a nose-plant, which was reason enough for a guilty gulp on my part. "Sorry, but slow down! Calm down and tell me what happened or I'm not gonna be any help!"

"You mean that _we're _not gonna be any help right?" My eyes opened wide as those words slipped from Iris' mouth. I whirled around at them and pulled back a bit in surprise. They were all staring at me with determined faces. Even little Pikachu looked focused and ready.

"Huh? You don't even know the situation!" I said, pointing out their own strange desire to help.

"Someone's in trouble. We should help. It would mean a poor mark on my Hero Connoisseur Record if I didn't help out!" Cilan declared to me and the heavens.

"Hero… Connoisseur…?"

"Don't get him started," Iris groaned. She recovered quickly to give me her most courageous face. "But seriously, we want to help. Ash may not look like much, but he can be a good battler."

"Hey! Iris!" Ash shouted.

"_We're in too," _Pikachu told me as his trainer was distracted. I smiled. I wasn't exactly into endangering others, but I would need all the help I could get and I doubt anyone else would believe this situation.

"Okay. Now, Richter, could you explain from the beginning what's happening. We'll need to be prepared."

"Axel, something's happening," said White as she peeked from behind her tree. Axel followed suit after taking a swig from his (third) orange soda. They glared at the Plasma grunts as they approached the mountain slowly. The two of them hardly blinked as a single grunt stood directly next to the mountain. "What're they doing? There's nothing but a wall."

"Whatever it is, we'll see it." Axel rasped, spectacled eyes glued to the lead grunt. Suddenly, the grunt reached for the mountain and… stuck his hand inside it. The two of them gaped as the grunt's entire hand disappeared into the rock wall.

This would be really incredible if the grunt didn't show off the workings of the optical illusion by pulling back a sheet of paper that had been painted to resemble a rock wall, revealing a gigantic cave opening behind it. White went from gaping to glaring. Specifically, at Axel.

"Those craft Scrafty's!" Axel mused as he scratched his chin in thought. "Classic ninja maneuver!"

"Are you for real?" White asked in disbelief.

"Hm? Yeah, real deal here. Perhaps these Plasmids are a worthy adversary after all." White rolled her eyes at this. Axel, however, kept his gaze on the criminals as they paraded into the mountain, one after the other until all but two remained outside. The curtain closed and the two guards faced away from the mountain.

"One for each of us?" White smirked.

"Nah. I got this." Axel reached into his pocket and removed a highly polished friend ball. White quirked a brow as Axel enlarged and opened it, the energy within forming into a short, yellow and orange mouse-like Pokémon with black tipped ears and a long, swishy, whippy tail that ended in a lightning bolt shape. The electric type Raichu gazed up at Axel and grinned.

"_Finally," _he said. _"I've been waitin' to stretch my legs!"_

"Get ready to stretch out everything, Lucan."

"_What's my target?"_

"Heheh, look at that, you're learning." Axel peered around his tree and spied the Plasmids with a piercing gaze. "Two… 'trainers,' I suppose we could call them that. Each has got two pokéballs."

"_Okay." _And with that the Raichu was off. He ran towards the Plasma grunts on pretty swift legs, considering his respectable size. White gave a puzzled look towards Axel.

"Uh… why did it sound like you were talking-"

"Long story." Axel grinned at her. White was about to protest further, but turned her head at the sound of a duo of pained moans. She flinched at the sight. Not two seconds earlier, the Plasmids had been brandishing a pair of pokéballs at the poor, solitary Raichu. Now, all that was there was two unconscious Plasmids, a fainted Trubbish, a fleeing Krokorok, and a very proud-looking Raichu, staring back at White. Axel bowed to White in response to her gaping face. "Shall we?"

Arcade was a creature of preparation. He was also a surprisingly good actor. He showed incredible restraint to not laugh at the ticklish prods of the Plasma grunts as he was bound at the wrists behind his back and thrust roughly against the cave wall next to a zonked Zack.

"I'll report to Gorm, stay here with Terrakkion and the brats."

"Sure. Go stretch your legs." The second guard droned, yawning. Arcade, confident he wasn't being watched given the positioning of the footsteps he heard, squinted his eyes open. One of the Plasma guards was still present with her back to him. Slowly, and as naturally as possible, he shifted his weight so he would fall on his side, most of himself concealed behind Terrakkion's bulky form. He knew that had made some noise so he remained still, knowing the guard could only see his unmoving feet.

"Huh. Moving sleeper."

Arcade breathed a silent sigh of relief and quietly rolled over, approaching Terrakkion and getting out of range of the grunt's sight. Once he was close enough to a section of bruises along Terrakkion's side, he silently removed a hyper potion from his coat. He maneuvered himself so his bound hands could gently squeeze the bottle, releasing a healing spray over Terrakkion's bruises.

_Thank you, human. _Terrakkion thought to him.

_Yeah, keep trying, the name's still Arcade, buddy. _Arcade thought to himself.

_Hmph. Maybe you are more impudent than I thought._

_Wait… did you just…?_

Arcade shook his head and got back to work. His hand froze, however, when a shadow loomed over him. He whirled around, heart rebounding within his chest. The Lilligant leered at him with the nastiest expression the grass type could muster given its lack of mouth.

"Us Plasma grunts aren't as dense as those from Team Rocket or Galctic." Arcade clenched his teeth as the domineering voice of his guard to his left spoke up. The woman was sneering with a large grin that would shatter a camera lens. "I think putting you to sleep is a little too-"

"Electroweb!" Suddenly, a net of electric silk sprung like an angry Pyroar. The Lilligant was instantly bound and shocked, fainting instantly.

"What the-" the Plasma grunt started as she reached for her pocket.

"Bullet seed!" Just as swiftly as the electric attack before it, a shower of plant seeds knocked away the peon's hand. Arcade turned his head to find myself and Cilan having just emerged from the hole he himself had climbed through. In front of us were our Joltik and Pansage respectively, all of us with glares on our faces. The plasma grunt put her hands up with a grim expression lighting her up like the coward she was. Cilan nodded at me and I knew to cover my ears then. Arcade, the quick study that he was, covered them as well. "Grasswhistle, Pansage!"

Pansage removed one of the leaves from his head and began to blow in it. I smirked when the Plasma Grunt's eyes began to sag more and more until he collapsed altogether. Out like a light.

"How the hell did you guys know-" Arcade spoke the moment we unplugged our ears.

"Thanks for saving my life guys. Oh you're welcome, Arcade, buddy, no problem," I responded while Joltik got to work cutting through Arcade's bonds. Once free, the doctor flexed his wrists. "Just promise you won't be a monotone, ungrateful dip from now on. Oh sure thing, man."

"Shut up, Black," he said, glancing at Cilan.

"Your Timburr came and found us," the green-haired gym leader explained while untying the slumbering Zack. Arcade got to work himself taking the remains of his ropes and binding the Plasma grunt before he woke. "Though I must admit, I didn't expect to really see Terrakkion down here!"

"Wait… my Timburr came and found you? How did you know to come here? And if you did know to come here, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"We sent Ash and Iris to try and convince anyone they could," I continued.

"How. Did. You-"

"I can talk to Pokémon."

"I don't want your dumb jokes right now Black."

I sighed, frustrated. "You're scared of flashing lights because they once gave you a seizure, the thing that convinced you to go into medicine was when you restarted someone's heart, and you use Mt. Silver Fresh Deodorant."

Arcade's jaw dropped. His eyes darted at his Timburr, then to me, and back to Richter. Richter shrugged sheepishly. "No. Way."

"He told me a lot more than that, y'know. You can believe it or not, but right now we need to free Terrakkion and get out of here!"

"One problem."

"What now?"

"You put him to sleep."

I glanced over my shoulder and my heart sank. Terrakkion was indeed snoring like a baby. I'm surprised I hadn't heard the peacefully cacophonic tone before. Now that he actually pointed it out, it was quite loud.

"Ah… so we have." I facepalmed.

"Besides, he's injured. He's not going anywhere and even if we tried a pokéball, I've heard the odds of catching a legendary successfully, even with the added benefit of sleep, isn't great." Arcade gave me an intensely serious look, which I mirrored in response. "I need to treat him here."

"With Plasma crawling all over the place?" I shot at him.

"If you've got a better idea, I'd like to hear it."

"Fine," I groaned, "I guess we don't have much choice. We'll cover you."

"Thanks." Arcade said sincerely and with a nod. That done, he got to work, removing a satchel from beneath his coat. As for me, I turned to Terrakkion as Cilan went to the entrance to see if we were alone. I heard Zack yawn next to me as he went through the steps of regaining consciousness.

"They… really messed this guy up." I stated softly. I knew Team Plasma weren't reasonable people, but they truly made an effort to hurt this legendary Pokémon whom they coveted so dearly. I felt strange as I stared at this Pokémon's cuts and bruises. Something like… guilt.

"Yeah," Arcade nonchalantly replied as he used up some more super potion on Terrakkion's leg.

"How… bad is he?"

"This is quite a bit of damage, but he's a legendary Pokémon so I don't imagine it'll take the biggest toll on him. Though, I don't imagine him sprinting anytime soon."

I was silent. For a while, I had just assumed Team Plasma were thieves and nothing more. I figured for all their talk about treating Pokémon right, they'd at least have the decency not to hurt the Pokémon they were trying so desperately to save. So right there, as I stared at the fallen legendary Rock-type Pokémon, I made my decision.

I wasn't running anymore.

"Joel!" I extended an arm towards the idle electric type, motioning for him to come with me. He leapt onto my arm in a panicked hurry, possibly startled at my intensity. I didn't worry about it though. Instead, I gave Cilan a fright by rushing past him into the cave tunnel ahead, lit by several lightbulbs wired to the ceiling.

"Black! Where are you going?" I heard Cilan call after me.

"Taking initiative. Watch Terrakkion!" I shouted back while my hands reached for my pokéballs. Releasing my Pokémon as I ran, I had only one thought in my mind: I wasn't going to let them do whatever they were doing. Even if I had to take them on myself…

"You get the two on the left, I got the two on the right!"

"Why do you get the big ones?"

"Shush. Just move."

"Fine."

"Lucan, IronTail, aim for their legs."

"Dewott, Water Gun."

With a simultaneous, tremendous thud, the four unsuspecting Plasma guards at the opening of one of the many tunnels in that mountain collapsed. Soon after, White and Axel emerged from said opening, confirmed that the guards were unconscious, and continued on their way, their Pokémon following in their wake. Axel, in classic secret agent fashion, lit up his X-transceiver to talk to the mysterious static-person.

"Looker, I'm inside. Got a few chumps in here who need some cuffs," he explained quickly.

"Understood," responded the transceiver.

"You wanna tell me who that is?" White whispered as the four of them stalked through the rocky hallway.

"No, what gave you that idea?" Axel replied matter-of-factly. "Now shhh, I think I hear something."

Had White had the energy, she probably would've decked him for shushing her. However, she also heard a loud series of bangs echoing throughout the corridor. The two ventured further, carefully stepping towards the cave opening…

…and coming face to face with a group of Plasmids carrying various pieces of mechanical equipment as they turned the corner.

Nessie was taking a leisurely stroll toward her match, making a shortcut through the forest. She had a skip in her step and the utmost happiness in her smile. She was confident and ready for a good match. Well, she was until she heard a cracking sound to her left.

Before her head could fully turn, a blur of purple came careening through the underbrush. Reacting at the speed of molasses, Nessie felt the full brunt of the speeding object, finding herself on her back directly following impact.

"Owww, gee, could you please watch where you're going?" Nessie murmured, rubbing the back of her head as that is what she landed on.

"Oh no, I'm sorry!" Nessie was in for another surprise when she was yanked onto her feet by an irresistible pull on her arm. She looked at the owner of such staggering strength to find Iris smiling at her apologetically. "Ran a little too fast. Wait, you're a Pokémon trainer, right?"

"Yeah."

"I need to ask you something!" Iris shouted urgently, to the discomfort of Nessie. "Do you know where the tournament officials are?"

"Uh… it's a thirty minute walk that way, toward the hotel. Why?"

"Noooo! We can't wait that long! If I go my fastest, those slowpokes won't make it back here in time!"

"Huh? What's so urgent? Something to do with the tournament!"

"If I don't contact the tournament officials, who knows what could happen with Team Plasma on the loose!"

"Team Plasma?"

"Hmmm, that could be bothersome." The two girls jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. With the same startling spontaneity as Iris' entrance, they felt an alien power seize their limbs, binding them to their bodies. They found themselves helpless, both dropping to the ground in seconds. Their Pokemon instantly felt the same sensation course throughout their bodies.

"What is this?" Iris demanded openly as she struggled against the nothing restraining her.

"I can't have you two calling attention to us just yet," said the voice as Iris looked up to find a Plasma grunt… with brown bangs emerging from her hood. "It'll make it far more difficult…"

Iris grunted in rage.

"…to catch Victini," said Alicia glumly.


End file.
